Sometimes Salvation in the Eye of the Storm
by Savory
Summary: In an instant the life Bella knew changed, only to reveal lies and danger. Can a father she never knew and a young doctor named Edward Cullen save her and provide her with salvation in the eye of the storm? AH, CP, rated M for language and content.
1. Chapter 1

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**The idea for this story has been kicking around for a while and I was going to wait until after I had completed Bridges before posting, but it's just been begging me to publish so here goes. Not to worry though, Bridges will finish.**_

_**This story is very different from Bridges and my other story not only in theme but also in POV. It will be third person throughout because it really needs to be in order to tell the story. It ultimately will be a Bella/Edward story but the first few chapters will be a background and build up to their story. Bella does not show up until the second chapter and Edward does not show up until the third. There is a lot of background that has to be established and this first chapter does that.**_

_**Hope you all enjoy!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

"Detective Swan." The gruff voice answered the phone.

Silence.

"Hello, is there anyone there?"

"Ch…Charlie?"

The sound of her voice halted his breathing. It had been a little over twenty years since he last heard it but he knew without a doubt it was her.

"Renee?"

"Yes." Her voice answered him tentatively and small.

Silence.

"What the…" He stopped himself from saying what he really wanted to say. "…what can I do for you Renee?"

"I was hoping that you would meet with me. There…there is something I would like to talk with you about."

Charlie sat there on the phone trying to find his words. How could he bring himself to meet her, to see her after all of this time? To know without a doubt that the hold that she had on his heart all of those years ago was still there, gripping him in a death like vice that threatened his sanity.

"Charlie I know I have no right to ask anything from you at all, but I am…begging…begging for you to please, please meet me so we can talk."

The cadence of her voice made him wary, not of seeing her but of what she needed to talk with him about. There was desperation and maybe even a little fear there and he was suddenly anxious.

"Where are you?" He finally asked, breaking his silence.

"I'm here in San Diego. I'm staying at the Manchester Grand. There is a bar here, could you meet me there?"

It was now or never for Charlie. He could tell her to go to hell or fuck off or some variation of harshness or he could meet with her, figure out what had her so desperate and then hopefully walk away with a semblance of his heart left intact.

"When would you like to meet?" He said with a sigh.

"The sooner the better." Renee answered him, a bit of relief filling her voice.

"I can be there in twenty minutes."

"That's perfect, I'll meet you there, just ask the hostess for me."

"Ok." Charlie said his voice unrecognizable to himself.

"I'll see you in twenty minutes." Renee said and then paused. "And Charlie, thank you." She finished before the line disconnected.

Charlie sat there for a moment dazed, his heart aching in his chest, the phone's receiver still in his hand, cradling his ear.

He thought he was over her, thought he had moved on from all of the pain he felt that horrible day, but now, some twenty years later, the pain was trying to consume him once again.

Gathering all of his wits about him, Charlie put the phone back on its hook, ran his hands over his face and stood to face his past.

SSES

Charlie Swan was numb, not just his body but his mind and most of all his heart. He did not allow himself to think of his teenage years and the wonderful summers he spent with Renee, Carlisle and Esme. He did not allow himself to think about the five months of heaven he spent when Renee lived with him and he would not under any circumstances allow himself to think about that last day when his entire world changed.

That was until the hostess lead him to the table tucked away in the back of the hotel bar and his eyes drank in Renee Higgenbotham and it all came rushing back to him.

She was just as beautiful as he remembered, even more so now. Time and age had been kind to her, her skin just as smooth as it was when he first met her at the age of twelve. Her once long strawberry blonde hair now cut in a short bob that hung just above her shoulders. She turned when she heard the hostess approach and the smile that lit up her face took Charlie's breath away, just has it had all of those years ago.

"Charlie it's so good to see you." Renee said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around Charlie.

He stood there stiffly, unable to move his arms or speak as the feel of her touch and the scent of her essence invaded him and pulled at his broken heart even more.

Sensing his unease, Renee let him go from her embrace and pointed towards the chair opposite of hers.

Charlie cleared his throat and sat down, looking all around him, at everything he could to not look at her.

"Can I get you anything?" The hostess asked Charlie.

"Water would be great thank you." He answered her, keeping his eyes fixed on her retreating form, not out of attraction but out of fear of what looking at Renee would do to him.

"So how have you been Charlie?" Renee asked in a pleasant voice. "I see you have made Detective. You must really be proud of that."

"Yes." His reply terse. He knew it was rude, but he feared his voice would quiver if he said more.

"How is your mom doing? I was so sorry to hear about your dad passing away."

Charlie's eyes finally reached Renee's face with those words. He was trying to figure out how she knew about his father's death a few years back. He was struck instantly by her eyes. The once ice blue eyes that were so full of life now looked tired and weak and the purple that seemed to have taken up residence beneath them drained the life out of them even more.

"She's doing well." He finally replied.

"I really miss her chocolate silk pies." She said as she looked down and began playing with the napkin that was in front of her. "Every time I see one of them on a menu I order it hoping they will be as wonderful as the ones she use to make, but I am also so disappointed. I would love to…"

"How can you be so casual?" Charlie interrupted her. "How can you sit there and talk about pie like we are two old friends catching up?"

Renee could hear the venom in his voice and she knew she had to tread lightly. There were things that needed to be said and she needed him in the right frame of mind to hear them.

"I thought…I guess…I hoped really that by starting out casual it would make things easier."

"Easier!" Charlie yelled. He paused and looked around him regretting instantly raising his voice the way he did and bringing attention to the table. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"What about this is supposed to be easy Renee? You show up here twenty two years later after what you did and think this is supposed to be easy."

"What I did…it…had to be done…there were so many…so many reasons…" Renee tried to get out between the choking tears that were taking over her body.

"Reasons!" Charlie yelled again as he launched out of his chair. He didn't care anymore about the attention that was being directed his way. "And what could those reasons possibly be Renee. What fucking reasons could you possibly have for just leaving me, with nothing but a note saying _I'm sorry_. Do you know how much I panicked? Do you know that I spent three months looking for you, going to New York trying to find you, searching databases at work that could have gotten me fired to see if I could find any trace of you what so ever! I had just gotten out of the hospital Renee, after being shot no less to come home to empty closets and drawers and a note that said _I'm sorry_ and nothing more. You broke my fucking heart Renee, shattered it just like that bullet shattered my shoulder and you sit here and tell me you had reasons. Well you and your reasons can go fuck yourselves." Charlie seethed as he started to walk away from the table.

"I was pregnant." Renee blurted out stopping Charlie dead in his tracks. Renee looked at the once retreating form of Charlie, stiff at her words, but not moving.

"You have a daughter, Charlie. Her name is Isabella, Bella as she likes to be called. She's twenty-one, very smart, fiercely independent, and full of life and passion and looks a lot like you."

Charlie's head fell forward and Renee could see his body trembling. She waited with baited breath for him to turn around and when he did it broke her heart. The look of pain on his face was more than any person should have to bear and she knew it was all her fault, not just this pain, but everything, everything was her fault.

"How…how could…"

"Charlie, please just sit down and let me finish." She was begging and she knew it sounded desperate, but she had to finish this conversation for her daughter's sake.

Charlie turned and quietly sat back down in his chair, his head hung low, his eyes closed. Renee reached for her purse, pulled out a picture of Bella and slid it in front of Charlie on the table. The noise of something being pushed across the table drew him out of his darkness and as he opened his eyes the vision before him took his breath away.

The girl in the picture was beautiful, simply beautiful. Her long hair was the same color as Charlie's with hints of her mother's red. She had her mother's smile and pouty lips and cute button nose, but it was her eyes that drew his attention the most. Staring back at him in this picture were his own eyes. Eyes that had stared back at him in the mirror with so little life for the past twenty two years. If there was a doubt in his mind, any thoughts that Renee was feeding him a line of bullshit to keep him there, it was gone the instant he saw those eyes.

"She's beautiful." He whispered.

"Yes she is."

"Did you…does she know about me?"

"She knows that we were friends growing up. I have told her all about our summers together in Maryland with Carlisle and Esme. But she doesn't know that you are her father, although I suspect that she has guessed that you are, like I said she is very smart."

"Where is she, is she here with you?" Charlie asked looking up from the picture to Renee.

"No, she isn't here. She is in DC right now for the next three months. She is a freelance photographer, specializing in underwater photographer. She is working with NOAA right now. She lives in Wilmington, NC most of the time when she isn't traveling."

"Isn't she in school? I mean aren't most twenty one year olds in college?"

"She graduated two years ago. Like I said she's very smart. She finished high school when she was sixteen and finished Savannah College of Art and Design in three years. Along with being very smart, she is very creative and has an amazing eye. She has been passionate about photography for as long as I can remember and she knew that is what she wanted to do with her life."

"She sounds amazing." Charlie said, his eyes returning to the picture of his daughter.

_My daughter_. The words were running through his mind over and over again.

"She is Charlie. I am very proud of her."

"Why…why didn't you tell me? Why are you telling me now?"

"It's so complicated Charlie. Our whole lives are so complicated."

"What's so complicated Renee?" Charlie seethed again, his temper beginning to rise at her vague answers.

"Everything Charlie."

"Well why don't you enlighten me to the complications and I will see what I can do to keep up."

"It isn't that easy Charlie." Renee said.

"That's bullshit Renee and you know it. You left me, knowing you were pregnant and now…now what you suddenly feel bad about it and wanted to casually mention to me I am a father."

"She was one of the reasons I left Charlie."

"Why because you thought I wouldn't want her or that I wouldn't be a good father?"

"No Charlie, I knew you would be a good father. I still know that and have struggled with it every day for the past twenty-one years knowing it. But it's so much more then what I thought your reaction would be Charlie. Do you have any idea of what it was like for me? I was holding that positive pregnancy test in my hand when I got the phone call telling me you had been shot? Knowing that it…"

"It what Renee? Was too scary, too much? It is a risk of the job and it wasn't even that bad, just a clean through and through to my shoulder."

"It wasn't a risk of the job Charlie, it was a warning!"

Renee's words froze Charlie. He didn't know what to think. What did she mean it was a warning? Renee was never won to be flighty or impractical so she couldn't have seen it as being a sign could she?

"What do you mean it was a warning?"

"Fuck!" Renee said with an exasperated sigh wiping tears from her eyes. "This isn't how this was supposed to go. Look Charlie, I know you have no reason to trust me at but I need you to trust when I say that there are things that I cannot tell you right now. Wait let me finish." Renee said as she saw Charlie's mouth open to protest her words. "I will Charlie, I will tell you everything soon, but right now I need your help. It's Bella, Charlie. She is in danger, serious danger. I have done all I can to protect her but I can't do it on my own anymore. I need your help."

"What kind of danger?" Charlie asked. Although he had just found out she was his daughter, the protectiveness of a father overtook his body and he felt real fear.

"Grave danger Charlie. I need you to promise me that you will try and find a way to protect her."

"How am I supposed to do that Renee? She lives on the other side of the country and she may or may not even know I am her father."

"Because I have faith in you Charlie, not matter what you may think about me, I always had faith in you. It is that faith that lets me know that you will take care of our daughter Charlie."

The table grew silent as Charlie let her words wash over him. He knew she was right, he would find a way to protect his daughter.

He reached into his wallet and pulled out one of his business cards, writing his cell and home number down on the card.

"I will. I will protect our daughter." He said as he slid the card across the table. Renee picked the card up and looked up at Charlie, her eyes showing a semblance of hope.

"We have to talk about this Renee. I need more information."

"I know Charlie and we will but not today. Soon, I promise Charlie soon."

"I need…I need to go." Charlie said standing up to leave. "Can I keep this?" He asked pointing to the picture of Bella.

"Of course Charlie. It has all of her information on the back, just please be careful not it let that out of your sight."

"I promise." He said turning the picture over and looking at the information on the back. "Bella Cigno? Is she married?"

"No." Renee answered him, standing from her seat gathering her purse.

"Are you?" Charlie asked instantly afraid of the answer.

"No Charlie, I never got married."

"Then where did this last name come from?"

"From you Charlie. Cigno is the Italian word for swan." Renee said as she leaned in and kissed Charlie's cheek. "I love you Charlie, I always did." She said before she turned from him and left the bar.

SSES

Charlie didn't return back to work that day. He called his Captain and told him he needed to take a little personal time and since Charlie never took personal time his Captain let him without asking any questions.

Charlie barely made it home before all of the emotions that he had been trying to hold back for the past few hours hit him. He walked into his house, made it as far as the living room before he dropped to his knees and started to cry.

He stayed like that for hours. He stayed like that until he had nothing left to give. He stayed like that until he was number then he had ever been in the past twenty two years.

Around seven thirty that evening he managed to go into his kitchen and fix himself a sandwich that he really didn't want. He managed to eat half of it, not really even knowing what it was that he was putting into his mouth. When he was finished, he grabbed a beer, walked into his bedroom, laid the picture of Bella on the table so that he could see it and crawled into bed fully dressed with his shoes and tie both still on.

He laid there nursing his beer, staring at the picture of his daughter. _His daughter_. Two words he had given up hope of ever thinking about let alone hearing.

When he finally allowed his numb mind to think back his first thought was to the summer he met Carlisle Cullen and Renee Higgenbotham in his home town of Crisfield Maryland. He was twelve years old that summer and a total beach monkey.

He loved the water growing up, having been around it his whole life. His father was a boat man, fishing blue crab for as long as he could remember. Since he was a little boy he was on the boat with his dad at least two days a week during the season pulling pots and helping him count. Although June was the height of the season for blue crabs in Maryland, Charlie's dad wanted him to be a kid so he only had Charlie on the boat with him three days a week, giving him the rest of the week to spend being a kid. He swam in the ocean; body surfed and surfed with his board. He was constantly going, hanging out with his friends and just enjoying life.

The first of June always brought on tourists and the part timers who came and stayed for the summer. Those families wealthy enough to have a second home and they spent their summers at the beach away from the rat race of places like DC or New York.

That summer the first of June also brought storms that left behind rip tides. Charlie, having grown up at the beach and being a strong swimmer knew the proper way to handle those tides if caught up in one.

One evening as he was getting ready to go back to his house for dinner he heard the panicked cries of a woman. He looked over to see a young mother screaming for help and pointing out to the water. He saw a boy who looked to be seven or eight struggling to stay above the water, a man who Charlie assumed to be his father trying to get to him but failing.

Before he could think twice Charlie was in the water, swimming with the tide to get to the young boy. As he got closer a girl popped up beside him and began to pull the boy with her, swimming parallel to the tide back to shore.

"I got him, you help his dad." The girl called out to Charlie.

He nodded his head and made his way over to the dad who was beginning to struggle himself.

"Sir I need you calm down and listen to me." Charlie said.

"My son." The man called out.

"Someone has him; he is going to be ok." Charlie said trying to get him to calm down.

The boy's father suddenly went under water and Charlie dove under to pull him back up.

"My legs, they…are...cramping." The man said between haggard breaths.

"Sir I need you to remain calm please so we can work together to get you out of here."

"I…can't…my legs…hurt too much."

Charlie knew what this meant, he was going to have to try and support the man and himself while trying to swim back to shore in a way that the tides couldn't pull them both under. He knew it would be a struggle. The man was so much bigger than he was and even though Charlie was a strong swimmer, it would be a challenge.

Just as Charlie was about to put his arms around the man, another boy who looked to be the same age as Charlie swam up to them.

"You need some help?" He asked Charlie.

"I think so, his legs are cramping and he said he can't move them. I can swim with the tides, but I don't know if I can support us both."

"We'll do it together." The boy said as he took one of the man's shoulders over his own and motioned for Charlie to do the same. Working together the two boys were able to get the man back onto the shore. Once they did, EMT's and the Coast Guard were beginning to arrive.

The two boys fell to the sand, catching their breath and trying to slow down their heartbeats.

"Where did you learn to swim like that?" Charlie asked the boy.

"Swim team back at home. You?"

"Lived here all my life, have been in or on the water since I could walk."

"My name is Carlisle." The boy said.

"Charlie."

"I'm Renee." The girl who had saved the little boy said as she came over and sat down beside the boys.

They sat and talked waiting for the commotion around them to die down. Charlie learned that Carlisle was from DC but was staying there for the summer with his mom. Renee was from New York and she was also staying for the summer with her mom.

By the time the boy and his father were taken away in an ambulance with assurances they would be ok, Charlie, Carlisle and Renee were friends.

They spent all of their free time together, hanging out on the beach, having swimming contest; exploring the area and just doing the things that twelve year olds do. Although Carlisle and Renee both came from money, neither of them treated Charlie as if he didn't.

From June until Labor Day weekend the three were inseparable. The next four summers were the same way. The only change coming the year they turned sixteen and Carlisle showed up with his new girlfriend Esme Platt. Luckily she fit right in and the party of three suddenly became a party of four.

The summer they turned eighteen, they all knew things would be changing. Carlisle and Esme were both going to be going to school at Harvard while Renee was going to go to Brown. Not really having money for school, Charlie decided to join the Coast Guard. Having been on the water his whole life he knew it would be something he could do well. Plus it would give him a chance to make enough money to go to school when he got out.

Carlisle and Esme got married the summer they all turned nineteen and their wedding was the last time Charlie saw either one of them. He missed them both over the years but as childhood relationships often do, they lost touch.

He stayed in touch with Renee until he was twenty and then all contact with her stopped. He was stationed in San Diego then and he fell so in love with the town he decided to stay there after his four years were up. He went to community college there, got an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice and went to work for the San Diego Police Department.

For Charlie, life was good. He had a little house that looked out over the ocean, he had a job he loved and he was in a town that he thought he could be in for the rest of his life.

Then at the age of twenty-three his world changed forever. Renee showed up at his door one day and nothing was ever the same for him again.

She told him she missed him and that she just needed to get away for a while. He offered her a place to stay and they fell into a comfortable pattern, just like they did all those summers ago. Within a few weeks, they were lovers and a few weeks after that Charlie knew he had found the one.

They had five months of bliss together, life was perfect and he had never been happier.

It all began to fall apart around him the day he was shot. It was a routine call; a drunk was harassing the patrons of a diner and would not leave as asked. Charlie and his partner were able to control the situation, get the guy out of the diner and restore order. Just as they were about to cuff the perp he pulled a gun and shot Charlie in the shoulder.

Charlie didn't remember much after that, just the burning pain that was taking over his body. He stayed conscience until they had to put him to sleep to remove the bullet from his arm. No organs were hit, no muscles were torn, and all in all Charlie was a very lucky man.

Renee was beside herself when she got to the hospital, tears flowing freely down her face. She stayed with him at the hospital each of the three days he was kept there, only leaving when they forced her out at the end of the day.

Although she was there, she was very quiet and withdrawn and Charlie began to worry about her. She told him she was fine each time he asked and he was afraid to push her further.

The day he was released from the hospital, Renee told him that she would not be able to be there to bring him home, that she had something that had to be done and that hard as she tried she could not get out of it.

One of his buddies from the force drove him home and as he entered the house he shared with the love of his life, he expected to find her waiting for him, her arms wide opening welcoming him home.

What he found instead were empty drawers and a half filled closets. A simple note on the bed they shared, the bed they made love in each night sometimes several times at night that said 'I'm Sorry'.

That was all that was left of Renee. There was no physical trace of her left in the house other than her handwriting on the piece of paper. The faint smell of her perfume lingered but there was nothing else.

She was gone and with her she took his heart. He had no need for it after she crushed it.

But now she was back and with her she brought back the heartache, the questions and the pain and his daughter. A daughter who was in danger from God only knew what and she needed her father.

As he drifted off to sleep that night, Bella's face the last thing he saw, he knew without a doubt he would give his life to make sure she was safe.

SSES

Two days had pasted since Charlie saw Renee. He went back to the hotel the next day to see her but the front desk informed him that she had checked out. He tried to get her address from them under the guise of needing to find her for a police investigation, but without a warrant they were not willing to give over the information.

One part of him began to wonder if it had all just been a game to her. Showing back up the way she did, telling him about Bella and then disappearing from his life again. The other part began to fear the worse based on what she had told him about Bella being in danger. He knew he needed to find his daughter, check on her and make sure she was ok, but he still wasn't sure of how he was supposed to start that conversation just yet.

The ringing of his phone brought him back to work and back to reality.

"Detective Swan."

"Detective Swam this is Brady Smith from the ME's office. I have a Jane Doe here that I think you might be able to help me with."

"Why…why is that?"

"One of the only two things that we found on her was your business card."

Charlie's heart stopped instantly, all of his fears coming straight at him.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." He said as he hung up the phone.

The whole way there he prayed to a God he had not spoken to in years that it not be Renee. He knew it made him a bastard for wishing the fate of death on someone else, but he didn't want it to be Renee. There were too many questions left unanswered, too many things left unsaid for it to be her.

He checked in with the ME's front office and was lead down a cold dimly lit corridor to the morgue. He steeled his nerves as he pushed his way through the swinging doors only to have his senses assaulted with the smell of chemicals.

"Detective Swan, I'm Dr. Smith, thank you coming down here so quickly." The young ME said as he held his hand for Charlie to shake.

"What can you tell me about the Jane Doe?"

"Her body was found last night near a dumpster over on 5th street in a back alley but based on lack of blood and other evidence she was dumped there." He said as he walked over to the coolers set into the wall. He opened one of the doors, pausing before the pulled the body out. "She was shot in the head at point blank range. There are marks around her wrists which indicate she was bound and there are bruises on her upper body. She was not sexually assaulted but she was beaten rather badly."

Dr. Smith pulled the body out of the wall, pausing for a moment to look at Charlie as if to double check he was up to this before he pulled the sheet back.

When he did, Charlie turned instantly, ran over to a sink and vomited. His eyes shut automatically as he did and that only seemed to make him sicker because behind those closed lids was her face. His worst fears were there, staring back at him coldly.

Renee was dead.

"Did you know her Detective?" Dr. Smith asked.

"Y…Yes." Charlie managed to stutter out. "Her…her name is…was…Renee…Renee Higgenbotham."

He could hear the ME writing something down as he turned on the faucet to clear his mouth and face as well as the sink.

"I'm terribly sorry about that. It was very unprofessional of me." Charlie said as he cleared his throat and turned to look back at Dr. Smith who was standing there with paper towels in one hand and breath mints in the other.

"It's not a problem Detective. You might be surprised at how often that reaction is elicited. I take it you knew her on a personal level?"

"I…did. She is…is my daughter's mother." Charlie answered him.

"I'm very sorry for your loss Detective. Was she from San Diego?"

"No, she hasn't been here for over twenty years. I haven't seen her in that long. She showed up the other day telling me I had a daughter and that she was…" Charlie paused as the reality of everything crashed down on him.

"She was what detective?"

"She was in danger, our daughter is in danger."

"Was your daughter with her?" The ME asked and Charlie could hear traces of fear in his question.

"No she is in DC right now."

"Do you have anyway of contacting her to make sure she is ok?"

"I…I do." Charlie answered the doctor, his eyes never leaving Renee's face.

"Based on what I have found so far sir, I would say there is a very good possibility that she is in danger. From what I can tell this wasn't some random attack, Ms. Higgenbotham was executed."

Charlie nodded his head and walked closer to Renee's body.

"What was the other thing that you found on her?" Charlie's raspy voice asked.

"It was a fluke really that I found anything at all. I was cutting her clothing away from her body and when I got to the pocket of her skirt I hit a seam." He said as he walked over to his desk. "It appears she sewed your business card and this picture into the her skirt so that it wouldn't be found unless someone did what I did."

Dr. Smith walked back over to Charlie and handed him the business card he had given to Renee along with a picture. Charlie stared at the picture of Renee, Carlisle, Esme and himself that had been taking when they were sixteen. He knew instantly why Renee had done this.

"She was leaving me breadcrumbs." Charlie mumbled to himself.

"What is that a picture of?" Dr. Smith asked.

"It's from when we were sixteen. It's me and Renee and two of our friends that we spent every summer with since we were twelve."

"I really am very sorry for your loss detective. I'll give you a moment to say good bye." Dr. Smith said as he turned to walk away leaving Charlie there alone with Renee.

"Damn it Renee." Charlie huffed as he felt the tears stream down his face. "Why didn't you stay with me? Why didn't you tell me you were in danger too? I could have protected you. I could have prevented this. I could have…fuck…I just…" Charlie stopped his rambling words and sighed a heavy sigh. "I love you too Renee. I never stopped loving you either." He said before he leaned down and kissed her lips, one of his tears falling into her eyes.

"I promise baby, if it's last thing I do, I'll protect our Bella." He whispered before he turned to walk away.

After making arrangements with the ME to take care Renee's remains, Charlie stepped out into the sunny day knowing only two things.

He was about to meet his daughter for the first time and unfortunately it was so he could tell her that her mother was killed and that he would do everything in his power to protect her.

The other thing he knew was that it was time to go and see his old friends Carlisle and Esme Cullen.

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><p><em><strong>AN: So it begins.**_

_**Let me know what you think!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**Thank you to all who have given this story a chance and for the wonderful reviews so far.**_

_**We meet and get to know a little bit about Bella, the Cullens and Alice and Jasper Whitlock. There is a lot of background information in this chapter as it establishes the key players as well as filling in some of the gaps. A little more information about Renee's background is revealed but not all and I promise it will happen soon, I will not drag it out until the middle of the story. This should be the last of the slow burn chapters. Thanks for sticking with me!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"Isabella Cigno." The sound of his daughter's voice was like music to his ears.

"Isabella my name is Charlie Swan. I'm not sure if you remember or even know my name."

"Yes of course I do Charlie; my mom speaks of you often. How are you?"

"I'm ok Isabella, thank you for asking."

"Please call me Bella." She says and Charlie cannot help but smile to himself that she is so friendly towards him already. "So what can I do for you Charlie?"

Charlie sighed to himself, that momentary happiness that he felt quickly replaced by the pain of what he was about to do.

"Bella did Renee tell you that she was coming out to see me in San Diego?"

"No." Bella answered him quietly.

Charlie paused trying to figure out what to say next. He didn't know if he should just tell her about her mother or try and figure out if she had any idea of the potential danger that she was in.

"Charlie is there something wrong with my mom?" Bella's cracking voice asked him bringing him out of his debate.

"I'm afraid so Bella. I'm so sorry to have to tell you that she died yesterday."

There was no noise on the other end of the line and Charlie began to wonder if she hadn't heard him or that perhaps the call had been dropped. He waited for another moment and was about to speak when he heard her muffled cry.

"Bella…I…"

"How?" Bella asked through her tears.

"She…she was murdered."

Charlie could hear Bella's cries get louder and he wished more than anything that he could be there to hold and comfort his daughter at this moment.

"I'm so sorry sweetie; I wish I could be there for you right now." Charlie said trying to soothe her with his words.

"Do you know who did it?"

"No but I believe Renee did."

"What…what do I need to do?" Bella asked trying her very best to remain composed.

"You don't need to do anything sweetie I'll take care of everything on my end. Just let me know what you want. I can have her body brought with me wherever you want."

"She wanted to be cremated. She said she wanted her ashes scattered in Crisfield."

_Back to where it all began_, Charlie thought to himself.

"I'll take care of it Bella. I'll bring her home to you. I'll make all of the arrangements and then I will call you back and let you know when we will be there."

"You don't need to do that Charlie, I can come out there and get here, see her one last time."

"Bella, I need to see you sweetheart and I don't think it would be a good idea for you to come out here. I also think maybe it would be best if you didn't see her like this…it's…"

"It's what Charlie?"

"You don't want to remember her this way; I don't want you to remember her this way. Before she was killed your mother told me some things. I know you don't know me beyond whatever Renee has told you but I need you to trust me on this Bella. I need to talk to you but not here, I… I need to be there with you."

"I trust you Charlie." Bella answered him quietly. And she did trust him because she knew Renee trusted him and that meant the world because Renee trusted so few people.

"Thank you Charlie."

"I'll call you back in a bit sweetie. Do you…is there someone who can be with you right now?"

"Yes. I'll call my friend Alice right after I hang up with you." Bella answered him, the tears falling freely down her face now.

"Good, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Bye Charlie."

"Bye baby." Charlie said.

It surprised him how quickly he was able to fall into calling her by names of endearment. As soon as he found out he had a daughter he felt that pull to her picture. When he found out she was in danger it grew even more. Hearing her voice made him feel as if he had been in her life since she was born. He knew seeing her for the first time in person was going to be a battle of strength to not sweep her up in his arms and tell her daddy would protect her now.

SSES

Charlie's terms of endearment had not escaped Bella's notice either. Even in the fog of learning of her mother's horrible death, the voice in the back of her head that always knew Charlie was indeed her father was there saying _do you believe me now?_

She also knew that right now she had other things that needed to be dealt with before confirming the truth about her father.

She pulled out her phone and called one of the few people who had been a constant in her life.

The phone rang twice before a melodic voice answered.

"Bella sweetie, how are you?"

"Alice." Bella managed to choke out. "I…I need you."

SSES

Bella and Alice met at the beginning of Bella's freshman year at Savannah College of Art and Design. She bumped into Alice while she was walking on campus and reading her map knocking Alice on her butt. Bella feared she would be yelled at or worse, but the tiny little person who laid sprawled out on the sidewalk just busted out laughing causing Bella to follow her shortly after.

The two had been best friends ever since.

Alice was a junior when they met and four years older than Bella, but she never treated her as if she were younger. Alice saw Bella as her equal in all ways. They were inseparable, even when apart. The one always seemed to know just what the other needed even when they lived hundreds of miles apart.

Bella and her mother moved around a lot when Bella was younger, usually never staying in one place for more than two years. Bella never really had a chance to establish lasting friendships. She could make friends fast but keeping them after she moved was another story. Other than her mother, Alice and later Alice's husband Jasper were the only constant people in Bella's life.

They knew each other's secrets. For instance Bella knew that the weekend before Alice's wedding to Jasper she drunk dialed three of her ex-boyfriends and two of his ex-girlfriends. Alice knew that Bella suspected Charlie Swan was her father but was too worried about hurting her mother's feelings to ask her.

The one thing that Alice didn't know however was the lingering worry that Bella always had that she and her mother moved around so much for reasons other than her mother's impulsive nature and ADD personality about settling down in one place.

When Bella was twelve she began to notice little things about her mother that raised her suspicions. Like the fact that her mother paid for everything in cash, that she never had a bank account and that whatever job she took she was always paid under the table.

And then she found the money.

It was a little over two million dollars in cash when she first found it at the age of thirteen. It had dwindled down a bit over the years, but never in large quantities because they never lived a large life. The first car Bella drove was a second hand truck that she got in a barter of sorts. She took pictures of her neighbor's daughter's wedding and he gave her the truck as payment. She went to school on full academic scholarships and the money that her mother sent her each month was never an amount that would draw attention to them.

Between the money and her mother's constant need to move, Bella romanticized stories of her mother stealing the money from a rich lover or of her grifting her way through life until she found out she was pregnant with her.

She never feared for her mother's life or even her own though until the phone call she had received from Charlie. Between her mother being murdered and Charlie's insistence that he come and see Bella because of his conversation with her mother, she now began to fear for her own life and regretted not doing more to investigate just what it was they were running from her whole life.

Bella was so lost in her thoughts that the sound of knocking on her door broke her out of her trance. Looking at the clock she realized it had been hours since she had spoken to Alice and that she was now at the door.

"It's me Bella, open up." She heard Alice calling her on the other side of the door.

As soon as she opened the door, tiny feminine arms followed quickly by stronger masculine ones engulfed her.

"Sweet girl what's wrong?" Jasper's voice asked from above her and Alice.

"She's gone." Bella managed to choke out.

"Who's gone?"

"My mom, she's gone…she…someone killed her." Bella said before she began to collapse into darkness.

Jasper pulled her away from Alice and swept her up into his arms, carrying her over to the couch and laying her down gently.

"Alice baby." He said trying to get his wife's attention. She was still standing in the hallway, frozen expect for the tears streaming down her face.

"Alice." He called again, his voice a little louder this time. The tone of his voice drew her out of her daze and she looked his way.

"Baby, go get a wet wash cloth and some water. Bella's going to need it when she wakes up."

SSES

Alice and Jasper sat there silently watching Bella for any signs of her waking up. Jasper picked up the wet wash cloth he had placed over her forehead and refolded it so it was cool again before placing it gently back in its original place.

Bella's cell phone ringing brought the silence in the room to a halt and Alice walked over to the table to pick it up. Noticing that it was not a number in Bella's contacts lists, Alice hit ignore and laid the phone down. Seconds later the phone rang again with the same number on display. Alice hit ignore again and within seconds the phone was ringing again.

"Hello." Alice answered it tentatively.

"Who the hell is this and where the hell is Bella?" A gruff voice Alice had never heard before yelled.

"Who the hell is this?" Alice shot back.

"My name is Detective Charlie Swan and I need to speak to Bella immediately."

Recognizing the man's name, Alice softened her tone.

"Detective Swan, Bella is not available right now."

"Listen here lady, I don't know who the hell you think you are but I need to speak with Bella right now."

Alice could tell that Charlie's tone was frantic and worried and she knew she needed to try and calm him down.

"Charlie my name is Alice Whitlock; I am Bella's best friend. She called me after learning that…"

Alice paused not sure if she should be the one to tell him about Renee.

"That her mother was killed." Charlie finished for her with a quiet sigh.

"How…how did you know that?"

"Renee came to see me a few days ago. She…she told me a few things…made me promise to keep Bella safe and then she left. Her body was found yesterday. I…I was the one who informed Bella of her mother's death."

"Oh Charlie." Alice said with sympathy in her voice.

"Alice is she ok?"

"No Charlie, not really. When my husband and I arrived she broke down telling us Renee was murdered and then she collapsed, she's been out for the past thirty minutes. She looked so fragile and Bella never looks that way. She is fiercely independent, never asks for help with anything, but looking at her now…she's just so vulnerable."

Charlie muttered something under his breath and Alice could swear she heard him say _my poor baby_ but she didn't push the issue.

"Charlie, why would Renee ask you to keep Bella safe?"

"She didn't give me a lot of details but she told me that Bella was in danger. She said at the time she could not tell me anymore then but that she would soon enough. Renee's…death was not a random killing. She was beaten and then shot point blank in the head."

Alice gasped causing Jasper to turn his head and look over at his wife with great concern.

"She was executed?" Alice asked her voice trembling with fear.

"Yes." Charlie responded quietly.

"What…what are you going to do to keep her safe?" Alice asked Charlie.

"I have made arrangements to be in DC in two days. Renee's body has been released to me and per Bella's request I am having her remains cremated. I am going to bring them with me when I come. I wish I could be there sooner, but these things take time and it was the fastest I could get it taken care of." Charlie paused before asking his next question. "Alice is there any way that you can stay with Bella until I get there?"

"Of course I can Charlie. Jasper and I will take a few days off of work and stay with her until she is ok."

"Do you live in DC?" Charlie asked.

"No we live in Richmond, but it will not be a problem."

"Thank you Alice." Charlie said and Alice knew more than ever at that moment that Charlie was Bella's father and that despite whatever had transpired between him and Renee all those years ago, he cared a great deal about his daughter.

"Could you please call me when she wakes up so I know she is ok?"

"Of course I will Charlie."

"Thank you again Alice." Charlie said before ending the call.

"What's wrong baby?" Jasper asked Alice, the look of fear on her face troubling him greatly.

"Jasper, our Bella is in trouble." She said before she gave Jasper the details of her conversation with Charlie.

SSES

Carlisle Cullen had been blessed with the kind of upbringing that every young boy could want. His parents were wealthy and could give him everything that he could possible ask for or want. He was sent to the best prep schools and received the best quality education as a child. He spent his summers at his parents second home on the beach. He was on the swim team, debate team and when he turned sixteen he was given the car of his choice.

Despite his silver spoon upbringing, Carlisle was also lucky enough to have parents who taught him money wasn't everything, that it could all be taken away at any minute and that being a good person was the proper way to get anywhere in life.

It was with this knowledge that Carlisle led not only his life, but all of his relationships including the most important one to him, his marriage to Esme.

During their senior year at Harvard Esme became pregnant with their first child, a son they named Edward Anthony. Two years later they were blessed with their youngest son Emmett McCarthy. With the help of their families, Carlisle and Esme were able to continue their dreams and pursue their chosen paths of work. Esme completed medical school and after her residency in the pediatrics section of Boston Mass she became a pediatrician, eventually opening her own practice once she and Carlisle had settled in DC.

It was Carlisle's chosen path that led them to DC. Carlisle went to law school after completing his undergraduate degree, getting a job with the Boston field office of the FBI as a lawyer. Through hard work and an amazing ability to understand the criminal mind, Carlisle joined the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI after being with the agency for just five years. It was this position that moved them to DC. After ten years, Carlisle was running the unit and five years after that, Carlisle was promoted to Deputy Director of the FBI.

He was now a powerful man, with many connections within all the branches of the US Government, but Carlisle still went to work every day with the hopes of making the world a better place for his children, just as he had done ever since he got the job with the FBI.

Carlisle and Esme's children each followed in their footsteps with Edward becoming a doctor and Emmett becoming an agent for the FBI.

It was during his second year of being an agent that Emmett met and fell in love with his wife Rosalie, a systems analysis expert. She was smart as hell and could hack into any system out there which was how she ended up on the FBI watch list and eventually working for them.

Despite his otherworldly good looks and women throwing themselves at him at every turn, Edward had never found the one woman that he wanted to settle down with. He devoted his time instead to his work, never wanting to fall into the cliché role of the playboy doctor. He loved his job as an ER doctor and gave every ounce of himself to the work he did on a daily basis.

Carlisle loved his family and was very proud of his children and he felt that a part of that blessing was due in part to the lives he had helped to save when he was twelve years old and the friendships he had formed on that day.

Carlisle had loved his time growing up with Charlie and Renee and later the love of his life Esme. Their summers together had been among the times he considered to be some of the best of his life.

Unfortunately after his and Esme's wedding they lost touch with Charlie and Renee both, their youthful friendships becoming a causality of growing older.

So it was a great surprise when his assistant Kate informed him that he had a call waiting for him and that it was from none other than Charlie Swan.

"Charlie Swan as I live and breathe. How the hell are you buddy?" Carlisle asks clearly delighted to be hearing from his old friend.

Charlie takes a moment to relish in the sound of joy in his friends voice before he begins.

"Not good at all Carlisle. I'm so sorry to start our first conversation in over twenty years this way, but I need your help."

"What's wrong Charlie?"

"It's Renee. She's gone Carlisle, she was murdered."

"No." Carlisle gasped before listening intently to all of the information that Charlie had to give him.

SSES

Carlisle's drive home seemed to take longer than usual. He left shortly after his call ended with Charlie. He had to clear his mind and figure out the next step to bring Renee's killer to justice and to find a way to protect Bella.

He also needed to get his heart around the grief that he was feeling. It was true that he had not spoken to nor seen Renee in over twenty years but he loved her dearly at one point in his life. Loved her as if she was his sister and that kind of love never truly goes away.

When he entered the house he shared with Esme, the same house his children grew up in he felt a bit of relief from the overwhelming thoughts that were running through his mind. Smells of fresh bread baking in the kitchen helping to soothe his mind a little as he knew the love of his life was at her happiest when she was in the kitchen.

"Carlisle is that you?" He heard her voice call.

"Yes my love." He responded needing to feel her touch.

"What are you doing home so early?" She asked him as she came into the foyer and kissed his cheek.

"Crazy day." He mumbled as he pulled her into a hug.

"Carlisle are you ok?"

"Better now." He said as he inhaled the essence of Esme that was just what he needed.

Esme pulled away from her husband and looked into his eyes trying to figure out what the problem could be.

"Later love." He answered her unspoken question.

Carlisle needed to enjoy Esme a little longer before breaking the news to her, needed her calm to help him think.

"Ok baby." She said before heading back to the kitchen to check on her bread. Carlisle followed her needing to be in her presence a little longer.

"Speaking of crazy things, we got a letter in the mail today from Renee."

Carlisle froze in his tracks.

"Re…Renee?"

"Yes, just like that out of the blue." Esme answered his question, not yet noticing that Carlisle was no longer behind her. "She included a picture of her daughter, Bella. I swear that girl looks just like Charlie. I had no idea they had a daughter together."

"Neither did he until three days ago." Carlisle mumbled under his breath.

"There was also a key attached to the letter that has some address attached to it and the really weird thing was that she asked us to give to Charlie. Now that I think about it I swear it is almost like she was saying…"

Esme stopped as she looked up and saw the pale expression on Carlisle's face.

"Goodbye." Carlisle finished for her.

"Yes." Esme said quietly. "What's wrong Carlisle?"

"Where is the letter Esme?" He asked.

Esme pointed to the kitchen counter where the letter sat. The picture of Bella sat on top of the letter and he couldn't help the small smile that graced his face as he looked at the beautiful girl. Next he looked at the envelope, there was no return address, just Renee's name, but it was post marked from San Diego the day before it is believed she was killed.

Reading the letter he had to agree with Esme's thoughts that Renee was saying goodbye. She told them a little bit about Bella, asked them to give Charlie the key and told them both that their times together growing up were among some of the best of her life, that she missed them dearly and that she would always love them.

After reading the letter for a second time, Carlisle dropped down to his knees, Esme falling shortly after him.

"What is it Carlisle, what's wrong? Did something happen to Renee?" Esme asked, tears already forming in her eyes.

"She's gone darling." Carlisle whispered. "Someone killed her."

After Carlisle recounted his conversation with Charlie, he and Esme sat together on the floor of their kitchen and mourned the loss of their friend.

The oven timer going off broke them from their sorrow and Esme slowly got up to take the bread out of the oven. After placing the bread on the counter, Esme turned to Carlisle suddenly.

"We have to go to her Carlisle. She needs us."

"I know." Carlisle answered.

"Do you know how to find her?"

"Yes, Charlie gave me her address."

"Give me ten minutes." Esme said before leaving the kitchen.

SSES

Bella had woken up about an hour after Alice had spoken to Charlie. When she first opened her eyes she thought it was all a dream and she felt a sense of relief. But then she felt the familiar touch of her friends and it all came crashing back to her. She lost all control of her strength and cried as she had never before in her life. In that moment she truly knew what it meant to be heart broken.

Jasper held Bella in his arms while she cried, Alice sitting on the other side of her holding her hand. Where Alice was Bella's best friend, Jasper was the big brother that she never had. He was always very protective of her, worrying about her being so young and yet so grown up at the same time. Alice's words had troubled him greatly and the brother bear in him felt the need to wrap her up safely away from all the evils in the world and keep her safe.

After Bella's tears slowed, Alice excused herself to call Charlie and let him know that she was awake. She could hear the pain in his voice as she told him about this second break down.

Alice knew he needed to hear her voice and when she handed the phone to Bella, she could sense Bella calming a bit.

"Hey baby girl." Charlie said.

"Hey Charlie." Bella responded.

"Did Alice tell you when I would be there?"

"She did. I'll pick you up at the airport."

"There's no need for that Bella, I can just grab a taxi."

"No Charlie, I want to be there. I need to be there to meet you." Bella said with such resolve in her voice Charlie knew he could not deny her.

"Ok sweetie. I'm really looking forward to meeting you face to face."

"Me too Charlie." Bella answered him, feeling the first bit of joy creep into her heart. Hearing Charlie's terms of endearment for her gave her the tiniest ray of hope that her entire world was not lost.

SSES

Around 4:30 that afternoon there was a knock on Bella's door. Bella had fallen back asleep on the couch and the sound of the knock did not stir her.

Alice and Jasper looked back and forth at each other, very concerned that someone would be knocking on her door. As far as they knew, no one knew where Bella lived and since she was in DC for only a few months, they knew she would be focused on her work and not out trying to meet new people.

"Should we just ignore it and hope whoever it is goes away?" Alice whispered.

"No, I think we need to see who it is." Jasper answered her as he walked over to the door.

"Can I help you?" Jasper asked without opening the door. He hoped that hearing a man's voice would discourage someone who might have come seeking to cause Bella harm.

"We are looking for Bella Cigno." A woman's voice answered him.

"And who is asking?" Jasper asked again.

"My name is Deputy Director Carlisle Cullen, I'm with the FBI. I'm here with my wife Esme. I spoke with Charlie Swan earlier today about Bella's mother. We came to make sure she was ok." Carlisle knew that Alice and her husband were staying with Bella and he hoped that by using his position with the FBI they would feel a little more at ease.

Alice recognized the names immediately and nodded that it was ok for Jasper to open the door. They stood side by side blocking the entrance to the door just in case. Alice could see that the couple that now stood before her was the same couple she had seen in so many of the pictures Renee kept around her house.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. Renee told me so much about you. My name is Alice Whitlock and this is my husband Jasper." Alice said as she extended her hand.

After pleasantries were exchanged, Alice led Carlisle and Esme as they insisted upon being called into the living room.

When Esme spotted Bella sleeping curled up in the fetal position on the couch, her heart broke for the small girl.

"Oh Carlisle, she looks so fragile." She said as the mothering instincts within her kicked in and she went over to Bella and began to gently stroke her hair.

The warmth of a mother's touch stirred Bella from her sleep and she woke up to see the greenest eyes she had ever seen in her life staring back at her with such love.

"Esme?" Bella asked recognizing her face from her mother's pictures and stories.

"Yes sweet girl." Esme answered.

"Are you real?" Bella asked thinking she was possibly dreaming.

Esme chuckled a little at the innocence of Bella's question.

"Yes I'm real sweetie. Charlie called Carlisle and we came over as soon as we could." She said as she pointed back to Carlisle who gave Bella a sincere smile. "It may have been years since we last saw your mom Bella, but we both loved her and Charlie very much and want to be here for you now."

With her words a new round of tears hit Bella and Esme pulled her into an embrace. The loving support of a mother even though it was not her own was just what Bella needed at the moment.

SSES

The next two days, as they waited for Charlie's arrival, Bella, Esme and Alice spent their time remembering the life of Renee Higgenbotham. Esme brought over photos that she had of their childhood and Bella shared the photos of her and her mother together over the years. Bella told Esme and Carlisle all about moving around from place to place. She told them about some of the crazy jobs her mother held and that the first thing she would do anytime they moved into a new house was to paint all of the rooms the same color of sage green. Bella once asked her mother why that color, her answer always the same, 'it just calms me'. Bella knew there was more to that story but she never pushed her mother for more information.

Looking back now, Bella wished she had pushed her mother for more information about a lot of different things.

While Bella and Esme spent their time talking about the past, Carlisle enlisted the help of his daughter in law to try and find out more about Renee.

"It's the damnedest thing Carlisle." Rosalie said as she sat in her office at FBI headquarters. "There are fingerprints of Renee Michelle Higgenbotham all over the place until 1986. Daughter of Michael and Janet Higgenbotham, grew up in New York. She spent summers in Crisfield Maryland which you already knew until she was eighteen. She attended Brown University for two years but then dropped out in 86 which was the same year her mother passed away from breast cancer. It is here that things start to get fuzzy on her." Rosalie paused as she typed away like mad on her computer bringing up another screen.

"After she left Brown she moved back to New York and lived in a small apartment in Queens. She didn't work but seemed to have a never ending supply of money but as best I can tell none of it came from her father. Her father passed away in July of 1989 from an apparent suicide and it is shortly after her father passed away that Renee began to fall completely off the grid. The apartment and all utilities remained in her name until August of that year and then everything was turned off and the lease was broken. There is no trace of her until she shows up as being listed as an emergency contact for Charles Swan at a hospital in San Diego in January of 1990. There is no trace of a Renee Higgenbotham again after that until her death certificate was signed two days ago."

Carlisle stood there staring at the screen. His frustration of not knowing what happened to Renee to cause her to disappear like she did was growing faster and faster.

"What about Isabella Cigno?" Emmett who had been sitting in the background the whole time asked.

Carlisle had told both Rosalie and Emmett about the situation with Bella, Charlie and Renee. He knew he would need Rosalie's expertise with computers and Emmett's street smarts as an agent to help him protect Bella.

"Isabella Cigno was born in September of 1990 in Smithfield Virginia to Renee Cigno and there is no father listed on her birth certificate. I have school records starting in 1994 in Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, California, Alabama, Florida, Texas and finally South Carolina. All the cities her schools are listed in were smaller towns and all of them were costal. It seems her mother moved them around every two years or so and I guess that helped to push her studies in school along because she graduated from high school at the age of 16 not only as valedictorian of her class but with a GPA that makes even me jealous."

Carlisle and Emmett both chuckled at Rosalie's comment. As a member of MENSA, Rosalie's intelligence was off the charts.

"She went to Savannah College of Art and Design on a full academic scholarship and graduated from there in three years, again as the valedictorian and with an even more impressive GPA then before. She got her first job as a freelance photographer working for National Geographic Magazine and that led to her working on documentaries for the NatGeo network. She specializes in underwater photography having been a certified diver since she was twelve years old. She is currently finishing up a project working for NOAA having done research and documenting the way Global Warming effects coral and other sea plants. That is why she is living in DC for now. She has a permanent residency in Wilmington, North Carolina but only seems to live there three to four months of the year. Her passport is filled to the brim with places she has traveled for work." Rosalie finished.

"Damn the girl is impressive." Emmett muttered to himself.

"And that's just on paper. Wait until you meet her in person." Carlisle said with a sense of pride in knowing her already.

"What about Renee Cigno during all of this time?" Carlisle asks.

"See again that is where things get weird. There is proof of Renee as Isabella's mother, school records, doctor's records and proof of residency for school purposes, but nothing else. No driver's license, no records of jobs, no bank accounts, nothing. It's like she existed only as Isabella's mother and nothing else. I have no record of her before 1990 and what I have after that is all about Isabella."

"How did she move from place to place?" Emmett asked.

"Bella mentioned her mother bartering with people to get things done around the house. My guess would be that she did that to help them move as well. No trace left behind so to speak." Carlisle said with a sigh.

"What or better yet who was she running from?" Emmett asked.

"I have no idea son, but unfortunately it seems as if they found her and it puts Bella in even more danger then she may have been before when her mother was running." Carlisle says before leaving Emmett and Rosalie to ponder the enigma of Renee Higgenbotham on their own.

SSES

Bella, Alice, Jasper and Esme stood at the luggage carousal of flight 2150 coming in from San Diego waiting to meet Charlie.

Bella was nervous but excited at the same time. Everyone around her seemed to know that Charlie was her father and seemed to know that she knew it too, but the subject was never brought up.

After standing there for what felt like an eternity, Bella spotted a man who looked like an older version of all of those pictures she had stared at over the years. He was just as handsome today as he had been in those pictures from twenty plus years ago. As he got closer to her she noticed little things about him. His hair was the same color as hers with little touches of gray around the ears. He was tall, standing at a little over six foot two but he was lean in a muscular way. He had a mustache with hints of red in it and his face looked very weary, like he hadn't slept in years.

His eyes were the last thing she noticed as he stood directly in front of her.

"Bella." He said not as a question but as a statement. She looked up into her own brown eyes staring back at her, seeing the same understanding in them that she knew had to be reflected in her own.

"Charlie." Bella responded.

Charlie gently placed the overnight bag he had on his shoulder down on the ground, being extra careful not to disturb the box that was carrying Renee's ashes. Once the he felt the bag was safe on the ground he stood there for a moment taking in the beauty of his daughter before opening his arms to her.

Bella rushed into his arms, tears racking her body once again.

"It's ok baby girl, I've got you now." He said as he ran his hand over the back of her head gently trying to soothe her.

As Bella stood there wrapped in the embrace of a father's arms that she never knew before she realized just how much she needed this and just how much she had missed out on in her life. She also knew that she needed Charlie Swan in her life right now more than she ever needed anyone other than in mom.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**More of the mystery of Renee will be revealed in the next chapter and we will also get to see Edward.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed this; let me know what you think so far!**_

_**Much love to all! **_


	3. Chapter 3

**_SM owns Twilight._**

**_Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes._**

**_We meet Edward in this chapter but not until almost the end so bear with me._**

**_Let the action begin!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Charlie sat at Bella's kitchen table holding the key Renee had asked Esme and Carlisle to give to him. He had been staring at it for the past few hours hoping, wishing really that it could talk to him and tell him everything that he needed to know.

His conversation with Carlisle the night before had been troubling. He would have liked to have spent the night reminiscing about the lives of his friends that he had not seen in over twenty years drinking beers and laughing. However it was a night filled with conversations about the life that Renee had been living and throwing out a thousand more unanswered questions.

One of the biggest questions of course was the money. Bella listened intently as Carlisle relayed the information they had been able to obtain for Renee over the years and it was then that Bella told them about the money that she had found when she was younger. A sense of unease settled into Charlie at that moment and he could tell by the look on Carlisle's face that he felt the same way.

Charlie had not been able to sleep at all that night. The quiet of Bella's apartment gave the noise in his head more of a chance to take over. The last time he checked the clock it was glowing 3:23 am mockingly in bright red. He got up from the bed and went into the kitchen and sat at the table staring at the key.

The address on the key was for a box at a Mail Boxes Etc. in the DC area that was registered under the name of Leslie Burke. It was a name Charlie recognized instantly as one of the two main characters from the book _Bridge to Terabithia_ which was one of Renee's favorite books growing up.

She was leaving him breadcrumbs that only he would know.

Carlisle and Charlie were going to meet there at 9:00 am when the store opened to see what could be in the mail box that Renee had kept.

The sound of soft footfall broke Charlie from his daze and he looked up to see Bella walking into the kitchen. Dawn was breaking over the horizon and soft beams of light were slowly filling the apartment.

"Morning sweet girl, how did you sleep?" Charlie asked.

"Not well." Bella answered him honestly.

"Me either."

"Can I make you some coffee?"

"I would like that thank you." Charlie answered with a smile.

He watched Bella as she went about the kitchen pulling a bag of coffee out of a cabinet and setting up the machine. He was amazed at how graceful she was, working around the kitchen. Her movements reminded him of Renee and the way she use to move around the kitchen when they were living together for those five brief months of heaven. His heart was seized with pain instantly. The pain of the way that bliss ended so suddenly and the pain at the loss of the love of his life.

As Bella stood on her tippy toes to reach for two coffee mugs he noticed how she paused and then slowly lowered herself back to solid ground. She let out a heavy sigh as she placed the mugs on the counter.

"Did you know?" She asked. Charlie knew what she was asking but he wasn't sure how to answer her just yet.

"I mean how long have you known you are my dad?"

"Renee first told me a few days ago when she came to San Diego." He said with his own sigh. A part of him was relieved that the huge elephant in the room was now being addressed but another part of him was hurt at all that he had missed.

"I figured as much." Bella answered him as she turned, leaning against the counter.

"Renee said she thought you knew."

"I suspected it from early on." Bella said as she walked over to the table and sat down beside Charlie.

"I think I was three when I started asking about my dad. Mom always told me that you were a wonderful, kind man who just couldn't be with us right now. I had all of these images of you in my head about the reasons why you couldn't be with us at that time. I would make up stories about the adventures you were on. I would be on those adventures with you sometimes and we would have long talks together. Some kids have imaginary friends, I had an imaginary dad."

Charlie's heart broke and his head filled with anger at the same time as Bella spoke. No child should have to have an imaginary father. He wished he could go back in time and change everything, shake some sense into Renee and make everything better for Bella and for her. Then maybe just maybe she would be alive right now and they could have been a family.

"As I got older," Bella continued. "I began to press mom more for information but she would always give me the same answer. And when I would demand more she would just say that she would tell me everything when I got older. When I was ten I woke up one night because I heard mom crying. We had had another fight before I went to bed about her not telling me more information about you. I went to her room to make sure she was alright and I could see her holding one of the pictures of the two of you together when you were sixteen. She was telling you how sorry she was for everything and hoping that you would forgive her one day. I thought it was odd that she would be talking to your picture and saying those things. I didn't bother her that night, going back to my room and pulling out one of the pictures she had given me of the four of you together. I had heard stories about you my whole life, all of you really and as I studied the picture I realized that what she had been doing was telling me about my dad. I could see the resemblance of our eyes and our hair. I could see that our smiles were the same and I could see the love that you two had for each other, even at a young age." Bella paused to smile at Charlie, the memory of those photos bringing joy to her momentarily.

"The next day I got up early and went to the library. We were living in Beaufort, North Carolina at the time so I could get around pretty easily on my bike. I found a book on learning Italian and looked up our last name. When I discovered it meant Swan I pretty much knew. I went home to demand mom tell me the truth but when I got home I found her just lying there in bed staring at your picture. She didn't respond to me talking to her nor did she move when I crawled into bed with her. She stayed like that for two days, never leaving her bed. She didn't eat or sleep or anything. I was terrified. I stayed with her the whole time, begging her to move, to speak to me to do anything. But she didn't, she just laid there staring at your picture. Mom never told me much about my grandparents but what I did know was that her dad had killed himself. I read a lot growing up, all kinds of books, not just fiction but non-fiction and reference books as well. I knew all about depression and that it could be hereditary. I…I was afraid she was going to kill herself too." Bella whispered as she wiped tears from her eyes. Charlie reached over and grabbed her other hand, holding onto it snuggly letting her know he was there for her.

"One the third day she got up, took a shower and acted as if nothing had happened. I was so scared to say anything for fear of it sending her back into that place that I just dropped it. Mom was all I have ever had, all I ever really knew. There were only two constants in my life up until I was sixteen and went to SCAD and met Alice. That was mom and the ocean. So I left it alone. When I was eighteen I looked up your information. I even bought an airplane ticket to fly out and see you, to just meet you and see. Alice was going to come with me. The day before I was going to leave, mom called me to tell me that she loved me, that was it, no other reason. There was something in her voice that scared me, something that reminded me of that time when I was ten, so instead of coming to meet you, I went to check up on mom instead." Bella finished with a sad smile.

"Oh Bella." Charlie said with a heavy sigh. "I'm so, so sorry. I want you to know that had I known I would have been in your life from the start. I wish I could have been there for you, that I could have been another constant in your life. I want to be that for you now if you will have me. Please know that, that I want to be in your life, that I want to be your dad. Not because I made a promise to your mom to protect you, but because I want to be more. I want to make up for all the time we lost together. I want to make things better for you. I want to be the one to walk you down the aisle when you get married. I want to be the one who shows your pictures off and brags to all of the people at work about my daughter's accomplishments. I know it will take time and I know that we have so much to learn about each other, but I want to try."

"Me too Charlie." Bella said as she stood up and hugged him. "Me too."

SSES

Bella wanted to go with Carlisle and Charlie to see what the key would reveal, but they both insisted she stay away. Neither of them had any idea of how much whoever was after her and Renee knew nor did they want to chance the fact that the box might have been watched.

Bella knew it would drive her crazy to sit around and wait for Carlisle and Charlie to come back so she decided to go into the NOAA offices and meet with Alex Stephenson. He was the director of research on global warming for NOAA and the man who had hired Bella to document with pictures and video the changes to coral off the southern tip of the US.

She agreed to meet up with Charlie and Carlisle for lunch so they could discuss what, if anything they found.

Charlie and Carlisle arrived at Mail Box Etc. a few minutes after nine and went directly to box number 513. Charlie stood there for a moment before placing the key into the lock. His emotions were all over the place. He wanted more than anything to know just what the hell was going on but there was a part of him that worried that the Renee he thought he knew was all a lie and that meeting the real Renee would destroy him all over again.

"Do it for Bella." Carlisle said. "She deserves to know what her life has been all about, good or bad, she deserves to know the truth."

"Your right." Charlie said with a sigh before placing the key into the lock and turning it so the door opened.

Charlie reached his hand in and pulled out a box covered in brown mailing paper. The box was about the size of a large shoe box and was heavy. Turning the package over, Charlie spotted his name written in Renee's elegant script. The date post marked on the box was the day before she was killed, the same day as the letter sent to Esme and Carlisle. It was also post marked from San Diego.

"Let's take it back to my office." Carlisle said quietly and the two men left the store.

The weight of the box itself was nothing compared to what the weight of the contents inside for Charlie. He held it as if it were a life line, Bella's life line, as they drove back to FBI headquarters in silence.

Once in the confines of Carlisle's office, Charlie placed the box on a small table that sat in the corner. He pulled out the small pocket knife that he always carried with him and cut a slit down the center of the box. He drew in a deep breath as he steeled himself for what was inside.

He pulled the flaps of the box back to reveal what looked like a bunch of spiral bound notebooks and one single DVD. There was a sticky note on the DVD case that simply said _For Now_. Pulling the case out of the box he noticed another sticky on the first notebook that said _For Later_.

"I'm going to go set up a conference room so we can watch that." Carlisle said as he pointed to the DVD before heading for the door. "If you don't mind, I am going to also ask Rosalie to join us. She can hopefully help with anything that we may need more information on."

"Ok." Charlie said.

Five minutes later, Charlie, Carlisle and Rosalie were sitting in a small conference room waiting for the DVD player to queue up the disk that Renee had left for Charlie. Rosalie had one of her many laptops set up and ready to go to bring up more information about anything that might be on the DVD.

What looks like a hotel room comes on the screen and seconds later Renee comes into the picture, sitting down on a queen sized bed.

She was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, her short hair pulled away from her face with a headband. She was pale, her eyes puffy from crying and she looked very tired, but to Charlie's eyes, to see her alive even if it was in media helped a little to erase the images that were burned into his mind of her lying on the corner's slab.

"Hey Charlie." She started speaking softly.

"This seems like such a cliché, like something out of a movie you know one of those if you are watching this it means type of things." She said with a soft chuckle before lowering her head.

"I look back on my life sometimes and wonder how the hell did it ever come to this?" She said more to herself before lifting her head up and looking at the camera.

"I just left you a bit ago Charlie. I told you that I would tell you everything. I know it seems crazy to do it this way, but it was the only way I knew how. The only way I felt comfortable doing it without being overheard or watched. There is just so much shit Charlie, so much that you need to know in order to keep Bella safe."

"I guess I should start from the beginning. As you may remember my father was a lawyer, a very successful lawyer who had thousands of clients. The one I never knew about growing up, the one I don't know that anyone ever really knew about was also his biggest client, a man by the name of Finn McGovern."

Charlie could hear Rosalie typing away on her keyboard at the mention of the man's name.

"In the early seventies he came to America from Ireland settling in New York. He was a wealthy man when he arrived here and used that wealth to start a series of small companies. Some were investment, some were real estate and some were shipping. Over the years, McGovern merged all of his companies into one, Harlen Industries. To the outside world McGovern was the perfect business man, almost too perfect. I never fully knew the extent of what all McGovern was involved in but let's just say he was the type of man who was as comfortable in a room full of thugs as he was in a room full of millionaires. From what I could gather he ran drugs, weapons, people and diamonds. My father helped him to set up legitimate business so no one would be the wiser to his other activities. He defended his workers when they got in trouble and he helped move money all over the world and he did all of this without anyone, not even my mother knowing about it."

"By the time my mother's cancer was diagnosed, it had spread throughout most of her body. She died with a month of them giving the initial finding. My father was inconsolable; he loved my mother dearly and despite all of his unknowns the one thing I never questioned later on in life was that he loved her with all of his heart. While my father was taking care of my mother, Peter McGovern, Finn's oldest son was arrested for selling drugs. It was something he had been busted for a few times before and my father had always gotten him off. This time however he wasn't there to defend him and Peter got three years. He was inside for a week when he was killed while fighting with another inmate."

"McGovern blamed my father for his son's death. It didn't matter that his son started the fight with a convicted killer twice his size, it didn't matter that the day he was sentenced my mother was buried, it didn't matter that he and his son were criminals. All that mattered to McGovern at the time was that my father was not there to do his job, and because of that he had to pay and to McGovern his payment was an eye for an eye. McGovern was going to kill me."

"McGovern offered a hundred thousand dollars as a hit on my life. His youngest son, Paul wanted to make the hit as revenge for his brother's death. Finn agreed and Paul began to watch me, to figure out the best way to get to me. During this time he became obsessed with me and he went to his father and said that instead of killing me, he wanted to have me and Finn agreed."

"I was having lunch at my father's house one day when Paul came busting in with two of his Hench men. They beat my father up in front of me and told us both that the only thing that would save his life was if I went with them, if I became Paul's possession as he put it. My father told them to go to hell and that he would die before he subjected me to that fate. Paul put a gun to my father's head and was about to pull the trigger when I told him I would do it, I would go with him. As I walked out the door my father begged me not to go, begged them to kill him instead of taking me. I was terrified, I had no idea what was going on, who this man was or what my father's dealings with him were but I loved him very much. I had just lost my mother and I didn't want to lose him also."

"Paul set me up in an apartment in Queens, gave me a spending account as he called it and I began a life of hell. I wasn't allowed out of the apartment unless Paul or one of his guards was with me. I had to drop out of school, hell I basically had to drop out of society all together. Paul was abusive both physically and mentally. He put me in the hospital several times; he beat a man to death in front of me because the man made the error of complementing me in front of Paul and he use to tell me that I owed him my life because he let me live."

Charlie was consumed with rage as he listened to Renee's story. He wanted to find Paul McGovern and he wanted to kill him, hold him down and stare into his eyes as life drained out of them.

"This went on for three years and my only saving grace was Carmen McGee. She was the cook/housekeeper that Paul hired to take care of things in the apartment. She was always there to help clean wounds, ice down bruises and give me a shoulder to cry on. I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for her; I know that for a fact. During all of the time I was with Paul, I never saw my dad, was never allowed contact with him. I missed him dearly but in a way I was grateful that I didn't see him. From listening to Paul and his men conduct business around me I began to realize my whole life was a lie and that my father was a criminal just like the rest of the men surrounding me. I warred between hating him and wanting to protect him. In 1989 he showed up at my door out of the blue. He somehow had gotten someone within McGovern's organization to give him my address. The day he came was after a night of a particularly brutal beating from Paul and there was no way I could hide what I had been through. He pulled me into a hug, told me he loved me, that he was sorry and then he left."

Renee paused and Charlie could see tears streaming down her face.

"I never saw him again after that. The next day he put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger."

Renee paused again as sobs overtook her body. She just sat there and wept, her body shaking with pain and turmoil. Charlie's hands ached to reach through the screen and touch her, hold her and offer her comfort. But he would never be able to do that and that pained him more than he would have ever thought possible.

Rosalie had been typing away on her computer the whole time she was listening to Renee's tape. She was busy taking notes and researching information. Renee's story of her father stopped her key strokes and brought tears to her eyes. Carlisle walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulder trying to console her while his own mind reeled with the all of the information he had gotten so far.

After a few minutes of crying, Renee pulled herself together and looked back at the camera.

"The day after my father's funeral, Carmen helped me run. Her brother Seth was one of Paul's goons but he was more loyal to his sister then he was to Paul. He broke into the safe that Paul kept in my apartment giving me the two and a half million dollars in cash inside. He and Carmen arranged it to look like I acted alone and made my escape without anyone knowing it. I ran Charlie, strapped the money to my body, bought a bus ticket and made my way cross country to San Diego. I never stopped thinking about you during those three years. It was our memories, our talks, our times together that kept me alive and I knew you were my safe haven."

"And for five months you were. Being with you made everything better. I was home with you Charlie. I fell in love with you that first day on the beach when we were twelve years old and that love only grew during our time together. A few days before you were shot I begin to suspect I was pregnant. I was holding the positive pregnancy test in my hand when I got the call that you had been shot. I was so scarred that I dropped everything and rushed to the hospital. Once I knew you were going to be ok, the realization that we were going to have a baby hit me and I was terrified of what your reaction would be. After overthinking it completely I put all my faith in you, in us, that you would be happy about it and that we would be a family. I was on my way to the hospital the morning you were set to leave when the phone rang at the house. It was Paul, he had found me. He told me that you being shot was not a random drunk as it was thought and that it was a warning. He told me if I didn't come back to him, the next bullet would be through your head."

"I couldn't stay Charlie, I loved you too much to let him kill you and I knew I couldn't go back to Paul because I knew once he found out I was pregnant he would make sure I lost the baby. So I ran Charlie, it killed me but I had to. I had to protect you and our baby. I couldn't let anything happen to either of you. I knew that Paul would leave you alone if he knew I was really out of your life and that you didn't have a clue as to my whereabouts. It would be too risky for him to go after a cop and that without me as a connection, Finn would never allow it. So I just left. I knew it was going to hurt you Charlie." Renee began to cry again. "I'm so, so sorry." She whispered. "Every day I regretted leaving you, every day I regretted the life I was giving Bella, but I never regretted you Charlie and I have never, will never regret the daughter that we created together."

Charlie could not hold back his own tears any longer. All of the pain, all of the hurt that he had carried around with him for the past twenty two years had been because of the stupid mistake of a man so many years before and an attempt to save his life.

"Bella and I moved around constantly, never staying anywhere for more than two years. I gave her the last name of Cigno and with the help of Seth was able to get a fake driver's license with an untracebale name. They both managed to stay under the radar with Paul who took over the company when his father died in 1995. They would let me know when Paul was getting close to finding me and I was always able to stay one step ahead of him."

Renee sighed, her shoulder slumping down.

"That is until a week ago. Two days before I came to see you I was at work. I was working in this little bookstore in Mobile when Paul walked into the store. He walked over to me like no time had passed, pulled me into a hug and told me I had a debt to settle. He wants Bella Charlie, wants her like he wanted me. Paul is crazy. Once he sees something he wants he is determined to have it and he wants our daughter."

The rage that Charlie felt before was nothing compared to what he felt now. Tears were suddenly replaced by blinding hatred and his blood boiled.

"I have tried for so long to keep her safe Charlie, to give her a life that wasn't too crazy. I know I have failed, failed her, failed you and failed us all. I know I am dead either way Charlie, but even after I am gone, Paul will not stop until he has Bella, if I thought it was that easy I would gladly kneel before him and let him put a bullet in my head, but I know better than that. He is obsessed with Bella now Charlie and no good can come to her from that. I need you Charlie, now more than ever I need you to protect her. There will never be enough words to say I'm sorry for what I have done to you and Bella but Charlie, please, please I beg of you, please set that aside long enough to save our Bella."

Renee stopped and composed herself one last time before finishing.

"The journals are for you Charlie. I know they will never make up for what I did, but maybe they will give you a little bit of what you missed out on. I love you Charlie, I never stopped. Please tell Bella I love her and that I am sorry for everything. Carlisle I know you are probably there too and I want to say thank you. Thank you to both you and Esme for your friendship and for helping Bella and Charlie out now. I love you both very much."

"Bye Charlie." She said blowing a kiss to the screen before climbing off the bed. Seconds later the camera is turned off.

The three of them sat there quietly for what seemed like ages. Carlisle was the first to break the silence.

"Rose let's start with Seth and Carmen McGee. We need to get them into protective custody and…"

"They're dead Carlisle." Rosalie interrupted him. "Their remains were identified two days ago by dental records. They were found in a burned out car that was found in a wooded area a mile off of I-95 in Virginia."

"Fuck!" Carlisle seethed running his hands through his hair and pulling.

"Rose I need everything, I mean everything that you have on Paul McGovern now!"

SSES

Charlie couldn't listen to the chatter anymore. He had to get out, had to be alone. He stood and walked back into Carlisle's office, closing the door and sliding down against it. He put his head in his hands and tried to will it all away. His mind was racing all over the place. He didn't understand how he could be so heartbroken and so angry all at once.

He was ready to scream when he looked up and spotted the box that was still sitting on Carlisle's small table. He pulled himself up from the floor and walked over to it, pulling out the first notebook. He opened the cover and immediately sank down into the chair.

It was a letter, addressed to him from Renee, dated May 1990.

_Dear Charlie,_

_She moved today, our little girl moved. I haven't had a sonogram done yet to determine the sex of the baby, but I know it, in my heart of hearts, I know we are having a little girl. I was lying in bed this morning talking to her. I was rubbing my belly telling her all about the first time we met. I had just finished telling her the story when she started to kick me. She was relentless for a good five minutes. I started to tell her another story about you and she calmed down. I spent the rest of the afternoon just lying there talking about you. She must have drifted off to sleep at some point because when I stopped there was no more movement. Already she loves hearing about you Charlie and I will tell her everything there is to know about you. _

_I know this will never make up for what I have done, but I hope one day it will help. _

_We love you,_

_Renee and baby Swan_

Charlie picked up another notebook and began thumbing through it before he fully understood what Renee had done. She documented Bella's life for him. She wanted him to know her, even if it was years later, she wanted him to have a part of Bella's childhood.

He went back to the first book and began to read the next entry. He had been reading for about an hour when Carlisle knocked on the door. Charlie looked up as he walked through, he was smiling but it was clear to Carlisle that he had been crying.

"What is it Charlie? What else did Renee give you?"

"It's Bella." He said showing Carlisle the first entry. "She gave me Bella."

SSES

"There is this one picture where a dolphin is nose to nose with her camera. It is amazing Edward. The colors are all so vibrant and alive and you feel like you are right there, like you are in the water and that the dolphin is touching you." Emmett said.

He and Edward and met for lunch at Georgia Brown's and Emmett was telling Edward all about Bella. Well as much as he could without going into the details of the case. Edward knew that her mother had just died but did not know how. He knew that she was the daughter of Renee and Charlie, friends of his parents that he had heard stories of his whole life.

He knew that she was very intelligent, that she had graduated both high school and college at a young age, that she was 21 and that she was an accomplished photographer.

Emmett had spent the whole hour talking about her accomplishments. Edward had spoken to his mother Esme several times in the past few days and each time he did she mentioned something about Bella. Carlisle also talked about her briefly when he had spoken to his dad the day before and even Rosalie had mentioned her when he called to confirm his lunch with Emmett.

It seemed his whole family was in love with this girl.

"That's really cool Em. You haven't met her yet have you?"

"No not yet. I am hoping to this weekend. Mom has invited her over to the house for dinner, both her and Charlie. They are trying to plan some kind of memorial for her mother." Emmett said sadly. Edward couldn't help but notice the pain in Emmett's voice as he spoke about her mother and he knew there was more to the story of her death than his family was letting on.

"Did mom invite you?" Emmett asked him.

"Yes she did. I should be able to be there. My rotation ends Friday at six and I am not on again until Monday at six am."

"Good deal. Rosie and I will be there too." Emmett bounced a little in his seat, acting like a kid at Christmas with his excitement.

Edward had to admit he was a little excited too. He was dying to meet the young girl who had his family so enamored.

SSES

"Dad?" Edward said as he and Emmett stepped outside of the door of Georgia Brown's Restaurant.

"Edward, Emmett I didn't know you guys were having lunch here today." Carlisle said as he walked over and hugged his oldest son. They may live in the same city but with Edward's schedule at the hospital, he rarely saw him more than once a month.

"Yeah we just finished up." Emmett said as he walked over and hugged his dad also. He saw his dad every day at work but he still loved him.

"Boys I'd like you to meet Charlie Swan, one of my best friends growing up. Charlie these are my sons Edward and Emmett Cullen."

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally sir." Edward said as he extended his hand for Charlie to take.

"Nice to meet you too Edward, Emmett." Charlie returned as he shook one hand and then the other.

"I was terribly sorry to hear about your loss." Edward said as he gave Charlie a small smile.

"Thank you son."

"So dad any luck with that key?" Emmett asked looking between his dad and Charlie.

"Yes. Rose is working on it now." He said with a tone that suggested Emmett leave it at that.

"If I would have known you were eating here today we would have had you join us." Edward said while trying to figure out what Emmett and Carlisle's exchange meant.

"We are meeting Bella here shortly." Charlie said.

"Really, Bella is going to be here. Hot damn I finally get to meet the infamous Bella Cigno." Emmett said literally bouncing like a kid.

"Yes son you will get to meet her, in fact she should be here any second now." Carlisle said as he looked down the street. Just then he noticed Bella walking up from the other direction. "In fact there she is now." He said as he raised his hand to get her attention.

Edward and Emmett both turned their heads to look in the direction that Carlisle was pointing.

"That's Bella?" Emmett asked.

Those same words echoed through Edward's head as he took in the beauty that was walking up the sidewalk. This could not be the same girl that his family had been talking about. Edward was expecting someone who was bookish looking; shy with her hair up in a bun, wearing glasses and frumpy clothes. The petite girl who walked towards them was anything but that. She was wearing a soft yellow sundress that was blowing gently in the breeze all around her. Her long brown hair blowing around the same way her dress did. She was beautiful, a beauty that he had never seen before. That coupled with everything that his family had already told him about her he knew, knew without a shadow of a doubt that he had to get to know Bella better.

SSES

Bella was running late and she hated to do that. She had been so involved in her conversation with Alex that the time had gotten away from her. She had called Charlie and told him she was running a few minutes late. She knew it would be impossible to find parking along H Street and she worried about having to park blocks away at one of the parking decks. As she drove towards the restaurant she was relieved to see a parking spot on the street open up just a block away from Georgia Brown's. She got out of her car and made her way towards the entrance, seeing Carlisle and Charlie talking with two other men standing out front.

Carlisle raised his hand to let her know they were there and all four men turned to look at her. The man beside Charlie was huge. He stood at least 6'4" and had to be at least that broad across. He had a huge smile on his face and the way he bounced like a child was in direct contrast to the size he carried.

Bella than noticed the other man and felt her heart stop for a moment. He had to have been the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her entire life. He stood just a few inches shorter than the bear of a man beside him and he was much leaner yet she could still tell he was very muscular. He stood there in hospital scrubs and even from a distance she could see the resemblance between him and Esme. She knew that the two men in front of her were Carlisle and Esme's sons.

As she got closer to the men she could not tear her eyes away from Edward and she could not help but notice that he could not take his eyes off of her either. It was as if they were the only two people on that busy street. Like there was this force that was pulling them towards each other and neither one of them could help the smiles that lifted the corners of their mouths to the skies.

It may have been that force that stopped either one of them from noticing the white van that pulled up on the road and stopped in the middle of the street beside her. Before she could register what was happening a man in a mask stopped dead in front of Bella and picked her up off the sidewalk trying to get her into the van. Bella began to struggle and fight with the man, hitting him in the throat which caused him to let her go. Balling his fist up from the pain he felt, he threw his arm back and slapped Bella in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. He tried to pick her up again but Bella continued to fight, kicking her feet and hitting his hands, chest and knees several times.

As Bella fought off her attacker the men who were watching her stunned momentarily sprang into action and began to run towards her. Carlisle and Emmett both had their guns drawn and were yelling FBI trying to get the man to leave Bella alone.

They were almost to her when the man pulled out his gun and pointed it at Bella.

"Stupid bitch." He said before pulling the trigger, hitting Bella in the chest. He rushed back into the van which peeled off down the road. Emmett and Carlisle chased after the van hoping the traffic or the light would help them catch it.

Edward moved to her quickly going straight into doctor mode and began to assess Bella's wounds. Charlie followed him, dropping to his knees beside her.

"Bella my name is Edward Cullen. I'm a doctor and I'm going to help you." He said moving her slightly so he could determine where she had been hit and if the bullet had excited her body.

"Would someone please call 911?" Edward barked at the crowd that had gathered around them. Several bystanders took their phones out and began to dial.

"Bella can you hear me?" Edward asked after finding the entrance wound just above her heart and the exit wound just below her shoulder blade. With a lower exit point he instantly became concerned that the bullet had pierced her heart.

"Does anyone have a loose shirt or jacket that is clean?" Edward barked. A young girl walked over to him, pulling two t-shirts out of a shopping bag and handing it over to him.

"Thank you." He said to her softly. "Charlie I need you to hold this against the wound in the back. We need to apply as much pressure as possible. She is losing too much blood."

Charlie did as he was asked while Edward held the other t-shirt to the wound in her chest.

"Daddy." Bella whispered her eyes barely opened.

"I'm right here baby girl." Charlie answered her.

"Stay with me Bella." Edward said as her eyes began to close. "Bella look at me please, stay with me. Let me see those eyes."

Bella opened her eyes as best she could locking them with Edward's dark green. She could feel the pull of blackness trying to take her. She was so tired and cold and all she wanted to do was close her eyes.

"Damn it Isabella look at me." Edward demanded as her eyes began to close. She locked contact with him again, this time resolving herself to look into those hauntingly beautiful eyes. "That's right beautiful girl, stay with me." He said his voice softer this time.

Carlisle and Emmett came rushing back to where Bella lay. Both of them were on their phones barking orders, giving tag numbers and trying to get the police to pick up the van which had gotten away.

"How the fuck does someone attempt to kidnap a girl in broad daylight in Washington DC and get away." Carlisle screamed into his phone. "You have the information now find this fucker and do not let him go!" He screamed before he slammed his phone shut.

The sound of sirens suddenly filled the air. Two paramedics rushed out of the rig, one going to Bella the other getting a gurney. Looking up Edward recognized them as Jacob Black and Sam Uley and he had never been so happy to see them in his life.

"GSW to the chest Jacob." He began. "Through and through but the exit wound is lower than the entrance. She is losing blood quickly. She has remained conscious but just barely. Cut on her cheek that will need stitches but no other injuries."

Jacob takes over for Charlie and begins to pull items out of his bag to help clot her blood to slow the loss.

"We got it from here Edward." Sam says coming to the other side of him.

"I got it." Edward barks, his eyes never leaving Bella's.

"Edward man we have it." Jacob says trying to calm Edward down.

"I said I got it! I am not leaving her!" Edward barks again.

He continues to hold the t-shirt on her chest giving orders to Sam and Jacob as they give him her vitals. Sam and Jacob have never seen Edward act like this and they know this girl must be special.

He never breaks eye contact with her and talks to her quietly, telling her what they are doing. As they raise her onto the gurney and began to move her, Bella glances over to Charlie.

"Daddy." Bella calls again.

"Right here baby girl. I'll be right there with you sweetie. Just stay with me baby. I just found you, please stay with me!" He calls to her trying to hold back his tears as they load her into the ambulance.

She watches her dad until the doors are closed before returning them back to Edward.

"That's right beautiful girl, stay with me." Edward says quietly while listening to Jacob as he records her vitals and Sam relays her injuries to the ER.

"Edward." Bella whispered before closing her eyes and losing consciousness.

"Bella no!" Edward yelled. "Sweetie, stay with me please Bella. Please stay with me!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

**_I know, cliffy sucks. I am not usually a cliffy kind of girl but sometimes it cannot be helped._**

**_Now that school and my other story Bridges are complete, I am moving the posting date for this story to Mondays._**

**_So we now know the reasons for Renee's life on the run and we finally have Edward. I promise much more of him in chapters to come._**

**_Paul is a mean mofo and I promise he will only get meaner! _**

**_Intense chapter so if you need a bit of laughter now I suggest heading over to Supernatural Hunters in Training by meeky311. Her Bella is the perfect amount of snark and humor and her Edward is just the sexiest geek alive. The ghostly stuff is pretty great too._**

**_Much love to all of my readers, both the new and my lovely old who have followed me from my last story!_**

**_Would love to know what you think!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**No need for delay. See me below!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"Talk to me Jake." Edward barked out as he gently shook Bella trying to get her to wake up again.

"BP dropped from 110 over 80 to 80 over 65."

"Shit she's losing too much blood. Sam ETA."

"Five minutes Edward."

"Tell them we need to start her out with 2 units of O Neg and that more needs to be ready until we can control the output. We need chest x-rays and OR needs to be made aware of incoming GSW to chest. Who's open in OR?" Edward gave his orders as if nothing was affecting him, but inside he was terrified about losing her. And that terrified him even more.

He didn't even know this woman, but from the moment he laid eyes on her he knew his existence would never be the same.

"They are on standby with 10 units of O Neg and an x-ray machine. Biers is open now."

"Fuck!" Edward grumbled. "Who's next?" As Edward listened to Sam talking with the dispatcher at the hospital he turned his full attention back to Bella.

"Bella can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Bella, please, please open those eyes. Please let me see those brown eyes again." He begged.

"There's just Biers Edward. Jenks and Smith are in surgery. O'Hare and Brown are both off and can be called in but neither of them will be able to get there in less than 30. She may not have that long." Sam said trying to get Edward to see the unfortunate need for Riley Biers to be her surgeon.

"Fine, tell them to have him meet me in the ER and to be ready to go." Edward said through gritted teeth.

Sam looked up into the rearview mirror at Jake, their eyes sharing a knowing conversation.

Riley Biers was not a bad surgeon; in fact he was quite talented. But with his talent came an enormous God complex and the majority of the other doctors and nurses in the hospital could not stand dealing with him. His ego and bullshit were the last of things Edward wanted to deal with right now.

There were two nurses and the attending waiting for the ambulance when they arrived. Edward began spouting off vitals and information as they rushed Bella into the ER. Of course Biers was nowhere to be seen yet which only enraged Edward even more.

Once Bella was moved off the gurney onto the ER bed, one of the nurses began the IV that would give Bella the blood she needed while the other brought over the x-ray machine and began to take x-rays of her chest.

Once the machine was wheeled away and the films were being developed, Edward began to clean the site of the bullet's entrance carefully pulling out pieces of her dress that had been pulled into her body from the bullet.

"Films are ready Dr. Cullen." Nurse Stanley said.

Edward walked over to the films and his eyes immediately began to look for organ or bone damage. The others in the room continue to work on Bella, giving her another 2 units of blood while trying to get her blood flow to slow down, trying to keep her BP and heart rate stable and to prepare her for surgery.

"It looks like the bullet hit her sternum first. Three of her ribs are shattered. There is a tear in the aorta and there is damage to the lower right side scapula." Edward looked away from the film in front of him, his eyes scanning the room for one person.

"Where the fuck is Biers." He barked.

"What's the matter Edward, can't handle a little GSW on your own so you had to come to the master?" Biers cocky voice called out as he strolled into the room like it was Saturday in the park.

"Where the hell have you been?" Edward said as he rushed Biers towering over him by a good five inches.

"Back off Cullen. I don't keep up with your time and I don't expect you to keep up with mine. I'm here now so all is well." He said brushing past Edward to look at the films.

Edward raised his hand to pull Biers around to look at him again when Sam grabbed his arm and shook his head at Edward.

"Focus on her Edward." He said low enough that no one else could hear him.

Edward let Sam's words calm him down and he returned his attention to Bella. He began giving Biers all of the details of her wounds and the other vital information that he would need to perform surgery on her in order to repair the damage caused from a single bullet.

"Alright I have it from here." Biers said as they began to move Bella, who had not regained consciousness the whole time they were working on her. They were through the doors and in the hallway of the ER heading to the elevators when Biers turned to stop Edward who was following beside the gurney.

"I said I have it."

"I'm coming with you." Edward said.

"Like hell you are buddy."

"There is no room for debate here Riley, I'm coming with you. I will only observe, but I am not leaving her."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because I don't trust you." Edward said once again in Riley's face.

"Again I ask why the fuck not?"

"Because I don't trust anyone right now."

"Neither do I." A voice called from behind them. Both Edward and Riley turned to see Carlisle and Charlie standing there.

"Daddy fighting your battles now?" Riley said with disgust in his voice.

"The young lady you are about to take to surgery is under the protection of the FBI. To ensure her safety at all times, Edward will be with her when agents are not allowed."

"Listen buddy I'm not sure who you think you are or who your vic is…"

"Her name is Bella asshole!" Edward said charging towards Riley interrupting him.

"Yes her name is Bella Cigno and she is my daughter and I want Edward with her while she is in surgery." Charlie said pulling Edward back by his arm trying to calm him down. "I just witnessed two men in broad daylight mere blocks away from the White House try and kidnap my daughter off a busy street filled with people. And when she fought back one of them he shot her, while she was standing no less than fifty feet away from a cop and two FBI agents. Edward was the one who was there to save her life, he was the one who held her hand and made sure she wasn't scared." Charlie's calm voice was growing more and more aggravated as he spoke. "So you will have to forgive us all if we are a bit skittish about who is left alone with her whenever we are not there." He seethed as he finished his words.

"As for whom I think I am, that would be the Deputy Director of the FBI. And unless you want a shit storm of FBI, CIA and Secret Service here to make your life a living hell, I suggest you stop trying to piss all over her leg, get her into surgery and repair the damage caused by those assholes." Carlisle said in an almost too calm voice as he moved closer to Riley. "And in case you doubt my ability to do that, let me just assure you I can have the President of the United States here in a matter of minutes to show you just how much I can fuck with your life!" Carlisle was in Riley face now towering over him.

Knowing there was nothing he could do; Riley turned to the nurses helping move Bella to the OR and nodded his head for them to proceed.

"We need to talk dad." Edward said.

Carlisle was never one to throw around his position or the power he held within the government. Edward knew this was so much more than just helping an old friend.

"We will Edward, I promise we will. For now, go be with Bella."

Edward shook his head yes and followed Bella into the elevator that would take her to surgery.

SSES

While Carlisle and Charlie went to the hospital to be with Bella, Emmett stayed on the scene to make sure the local leos got every bit of information they could possibly get from witnesses and the crime scene.

"Rosie baby please tell you have something?" He begged into his cell phone as he paced back and forth in the spot where Bella had gone down, making sure to stay away from the huge blood stain on the sidewalk.

_How does someone so tiny lose that much blood?_ He thought to himself as he listened to Rosalie type away on her computer.

"Gotcha ya bastard." She said.

"What baby?"

"We got a picture of the van from one of the traffic cameras two blocks from the restaurant. It is registered to Felix Johnston. This guy has a rap sheet a mile long mostly petty theft, stealing cars and what do we have here, last year he did three months for drug possession."

"Any way to tie him to this McGovern guy?"

"I'm working on that."

"Thanks baby. Great job so far."

"Have you talked to your dad yet?" Rosalie asked her tone getting very serious.

"I spoke to him before I called you. They had just taking her up to surgery. Edward was going in there with her."

"How is Charlie holding up?"

"He didn't say…but…fuck…he just found out he had a daughter and less than a week later he watches as some asshole first tries to take her and then shoots her without so much as blinking an eye. He's got to be losing his shit right about now." Emmett paused for a moment collecting his thoughts. "I love you Rosie, you know that baby right?"

"I know sweetie, I love you too."

SSES

It had been three hours since they had taken Bella into surgery. Esme arrived at the hospital thirty minutes after they had taken her back and she collapsed into Carlisle's arms as soon as she saw the haggard look on his face.

She was now sitting in one of the chairs holding Carlisle's hand while he spoke to someone on the phone trying to secure protection for Bella while she was in the hospital.

Esme was watching Charlie pace back and forth in the private waiting room Carlisle had arranged for them.

Charlie looked as if he had aged considerable from when she had seen him the night before. She couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. Spending as much time with Bella as she had over the past few days, Esme had developed a great motherly love for the girl and she was currently heartbroken to think of what had happened to her only a few hours earlier.

And as much as it pained her to think of that she knew it had to be a hundred times worse for Charlie. Bella was his daughter and even though they had just recently met she could tell just how much he loved her already. To make things worse he was there, he saw everything with his own eyes, watched as someone tried to take his daughter away from him.

Esme leaned over and kissed Carlisle's cheek before removing her hand from his and standing up. She walked over to where Charlie paced and stood in front of him. At first he didn't really notice her, his mind a million miles away replaying the day's scene over and over in his head trying to figure out what he could have done differently.

"Charlie." Esme's voice called out to him and he stopped in his tracks. The look on her face held so much pity and love for him that all of the emotions he had been holding back crashed onto him and he fell into her open arms, loud sobs wracking his body. Esme just held him, rocking him back and forth and letting him get out all of the pain he was holding onto.

Carlisle watched in his own pain the sight before him. He knew Charlie was blaming himself for what happened. He knew this because he carried that same blame. Bella never should have been alone, especially after all that they had learned from Renee's final words to Charlie. _It shouldn't have happened_ _that way._ He kept repeating to himself. Of all the places for her to be in danger of being by herself, the place she was at, on the sidewalk, in front of all of those people that never should have been an issue. They were right there, all four of them, they were there watching as she made her way to them. She should have been safe, but she wasn't and Carlisle blamed himself.

Shortly after Charlie had calmed himself down Alice and Jasper came rushing into the room. They had gone back to Richmond the day before and had gotten back to DC as quickly as they could once they had gotten the call from Charlie.

"Charlie is there any news?" Alice said as she rushed over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"She's still in surgery." Charlie answered her.

Alice quickly turned her attention to Carlisle and glared at him murderously.

"Why the hell was she left alone Carlisle." Alice demanded.

"I've been asking myself that same question for the past four hours."

"And your answer is?" Alice demanded even louder.

"I don't have an answer Alice." Carlisle said with shame lacing his voice.

"Why the fuck not!" Alice screamed.

"Alice sweetie calm down." Jasper said walking over to his wife and pulling her into his arms. He could feel angry tears rolling down her face.

"How the hell am I supposed to calm down Jasper? My best friend is in there fighting for her life. She's too young Jasper. It isn't fair."

"I know baby, I know. But yelling at Carlisle or anybody else isn't going to make her better. You know as well as I do Bella wouldn't want that. She would never want to have someone watching over her 24/7, she's too damn stubborn."

"She's going to have to get over that because she will never be alone again if I have anything to say about it." Charlie said.

Just as he finished speaking, Edward came into the room.

"Edward how is she?" Esme said as she rushed over to him and pulled him into her arms.

"Riley was able to stop the bleeding and repair the damage done to her heart. The most damage was done to her sternum, ribs and scapula. Each of them was shattered at some point from the bullet traveling through. She will have to have additional surgeries over the next few days to repair the damage done to those bones. Her body is going to have to get a bit stronger before we can even attempt another surgery right now. We are worried about the stress to her heart and about possible infections. We are going to keep her in a medically induced coma until we have a better idea of how her body is going to react to the trauma she has suffered."

"How long will that be?" Alice asked with a huff.

"And you are?" Edward answered her with a greater huff.

"Edward don't." Carlisle said. "This is Bella's best friend Alice and her husband Jasper. Alice, Jasper this is my son Edward. He was with us when Bella was shot and he saved her life out there. He will be her doctor while she is in the hospital. That way we know she is safe from outside sources so to speak."

"Nice to meet you." Alice and Edward both said at the same time as the held out their hands, neither of them really looking at the other.

"Sorry." They both sheepishly said at the same time as well.

"Can I see her?" Charlie asked breaking the awkward moment filling the room like a cloud.

"You should be able to in a few hours. She is in recovery right now and they will be moving her to the CICU in a little bit. They are working right now to make sure she has a private room."

"We will have agents posted outside of her room at all times, no matter where she is." Carlisle said. "She will not be alone again until Paul McGovern is behind bars."

"Or dead." Charlie added.

"Who's with her now?" Esme asked.

"Sam Uley is with her right now. He was one of the EMT's who answered the call today. I trust him with my own life and I asked him to stay with her while I came to talk with you all."

The room was quiet for a moment when Alice spoke up.

"Who is Paul McGovern?"

Carlisle and Charlie exchanged a brief look with one another, both men knowing well that it was time to share the news they had discovered with the rest of the family.

"Edward do you have time?" Carlisle asked his son.

"Let me go and make sure Sam can stay with Bella until I get back or they move her."

Moments later Edward comes back to the private room, making sure the door is closed behind him. He notices that Emmett and Rosalie have joined them. He settles in with rest of his family as Carlisle and Rosalie recount the story Renee told them and all of the information that they have learned since.

SSES

"Again I ask what the fuck were you thinking?" Paul said as he kicked Demetri in the stomach as he laid in a ball on the floor. The past hour of repeated blows were beginning to drain his body.

Felix sat in another chair watching as his best friend was getting the ever living hell beaten out of him. He knew Demetri had screwed up shooting that girl, he knew Paul would be upset, but he had no idea it would have been this bad.

"Tell me you stupid motherfucker. Tell me again why you tried to grab her like you did."

"It…was the only time she was alone." Demetri managed to sputter out.

"But she really wasn't alone now was she? She was walking down the street in front of two dozen witnesses and these four men in particular." He said as he pointed out Carlisle, Charlie, Edward and Emmett in the picture Felix had taken while he was waiting for Demetri to get Bella into the van.

"And what do you know but two of these men are FBI, one of them being the Deputy fucking Director of the FBI no less and the other a cop." Paul seethed as he kicked Demetri one more time.

"Our source told us she was alone. It was the only time she had been alone in the past four day's boss." Felix said trying to get some of the attention off of Demetri. "We figured that she would have to park in one of the parking garages around the corner and that we would get her there. But I guess a spot on the street opened up and she took that one instead. We knew it was risky but we figured that was going to be our only chance."

"Bullshit!" Paul said as he back handed Felix sending him to the floor beside Demetri. "You should have stayed on her a little longer. She would have had to have been by herself at some point and if not you could have gotten her when she was with one of those women who have been around her of late. That would have been better than the shit storm that you have unleashed on me."

"I have no idea who that bitch Renee talked to before I killed her nor do I have any idea what she told them. But considering the FBI is involved I imagine it couldn't have been good." Paul paced back and forth trying to calm his anger. He had more questions for these two men that he deemed well beneath him and a waste of his time.

"James." Paul said looking over to his right hand man who was standing in the corner of the warehouse watching as Paul dealt with the trash before them. "Did I not say I wanted her alive and unharmed?" Paul asked with an eerie sense of calm in his voice that scared Demetri instantly.

"I seem to remember you making it very clear that Bella was not to be harmed in anyway shape or form." James answered him.

"So then I have to ask, wonder really why the fuck was she shot. For all I know she could be dead right now because this piece of shit shot her." He said as he walked over and kicked Demetri again.

"The…stupid bitch was kicking me." Demetri admitted.

"BITCH!" Paul screamed. "You do not call her a bitch. You are not to even think of her name you dumb piece of shit." He said while kicking Demetri the entire time. "I'm kicking you, are you going to shot me now? I don't care if she would have pulled out a gun and fucked you with it you asshole, she was not to be touched!"

"I'm…sor…sorry…boss." Demetri managed to get out through the pain of being kicked repeatedly.

"Did you hear that James? He said he was sorry."

James chuckled darkly and nodded his head yes.

"Well thank heavens for that. All is perfect now, all of course is forgiven now!" Paul said as he threw his hands up in a halleluiah style.

"He fucked up boss. It won't happen again." Felix said, his eyes pleading with Paul to stop his assault on Demetri.

"You're right Felix, it won't happen again." Paul said as he pulled out the Eagle he had tucked behind his back. Without a moment's hesitation he shot Demetri in the head followed closely by one to Felix's as well.

"Fuck did that feel good!" Paul screamed into the air before forcing himself to calm down.

"What's the word on Bella?" Paul asked turning to James.

"Our guy at the hospital says that she is out of surgery but that it is touch and go. That stupid fucker did some serious damage with his stupid wounded pride."

"FUCK!" Paul screamed again before placing another bullet into Demetri's lifeless corpse.

"First Carmen and Seth and now these two dumb fucks, what the hell is happening James?"

"It's a bump in the road boss. I am working to make sure all of our people are clean right now. Nothing will touch you boss, I promise." James paused before continuing. He knew what he was about to say would not go over well.

"You may want to step back from Bella though Paul. There is too much heat around her now."

"Fuck you James!" Paul seethed. "I will not back off of her. She will be mine." He said taking out a picture of Bella that he had in his pocket. "Her bitch of a mother owes me at least that and I always get what I want, ALWAYS!"

James watched as Paul paced back and forth franticly before coming to a dead stand still. The evil smile that took over his face even made James shutter a bit.

"And I know just how I am going to do it." Paul said.

SSES

It had been three long days since Bella had been shot. In those three days she had gone through two additional surgeries. One that repaired the damage done to her scapula when the bullet exited her body and the second that repaired the sternum and ribs that had been shattered by the bullet going into her body. They had to use small rods to repair her ribs.

Her surgeries had been successful and Edward and the other doctors were feeling better about her chances of survival. Unfortunately for Bella, Edward knew that she would be in pain for a while going forward.

The thought of Bella in pain was devastating to him and he was going to make sure she would be in as little pain as possible. Even though Edward was an ER doctor, arrangements were made for him to be Bella's primary doctor now and he would be able to make sure she was comfortable when she did wake up.

True to his word, Carlisle had two agents posted outside of her room at all times. He also had agents posted at different points throughout the hospital. No one was allowed into her room without passing Rosalie's background check first. There were rumblings throughout the hospital about it being too much and wonders of just who the hell this girl was. None of that was the concern of Carlisle Cullen though. Bella's safety and her well-being were his only concern.

Bella's friends and family were by her side at all times. Once they had moved her from CICU to ICU she was allowed two visitors at a time. An unspoken schedule was set and someone was always there for her.

This was more important now that they had stopped given her the medicine that induced her comatose state. Edward and the other doctors were hoping it was just a matter of time now before she woke up.

Edward walked into the room to look over her latest stats. Charlie was asleep in the chair beside her bed. He was holding her hand, his upper body resting on the bed by her waist.

Edward walked over to the other side of her bed and took her free hand into his.

"Bella." He whispered hoping she would wake up or at least squeeze his hand in recognition of her name being called.

"You're going to be ok beautiful." He said before looking over at Charlie to see if he had heard him call her beautiful. There was no movement from Charlie at all. "You are so tough Bella. I could see it as you fought off the bastard who did this to you and I can see it as you have fought these past few days. So strong! Your family loves you Bella and they are, we all are waiting for you to open those beautiful brown eyes of yours and talk to us."

He stood there for a moment, hoping upon hope that she would open her eyes. But there was nothing. No sound other than the machines, no movements other than the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Edward sighed heavily before leaning down and kissing her forehead gently.

"I'll be back soon." He whispered in her ears before turning to leave the room.

He was standing by the elevator waiting for it to get to the 10th floor so he could go and check in with the ER to see if they needed anything. Once inside he let everything sweep over him as the car descended its way to the ground floor.

So many thoughts were running around in his head. He knew it was wrong for him to be this emotionally attached to his patient. It was against his medical and personal oaths but he couldn't stop if he tried. That brief moment that they had shared before his world stopped on its axis was all it took to change his outlook on things.

And what were these emotions that he was feeling. He was very protective of her, he knew that, but what were the others. So many emotions pulling at his heart and mind, so many emotions trying to break free from everything that usually held him together.

"Edward." A familiar voice called to him.

He looked up to see the doors to the elevator had opened and Sam was standing there watching him.

"Hey Sam." Edward said with a small smile on his face.

"How is she doing?" Sam asked.

"Still not awake yet, but doing well otherwise." He answered Sam.

"Do you have a moment to talk; maybe we could get some coffee?" Sam asked.

Edward hesitated but then thought that maybe talking to Sam would be just what he needed.

"I've never seen you act the way you did with Bella Edward." Sam began once they sat down at the cafeteria table after getting their coffee.

"Me either." Edward said with a sigh.

"How long have you known this girl?" Sam asked.

Edward chuckled to himself as he realized how absurd his answer was going to sound to Sam.

"Truth be told Sam I don't really know her at all. That day was the first time I ever laid eyes on her. When I first went to her after she was shot, that was our first introduction to one another." He said unable to look Sam in the face.

"Wow!" Sam muttered.

"I know." Edward said with a pause.

"There's just…" Edward started but was cut off by his beeper going off and then hearing his name being paged to the 10th floor ICU.

"Bella." Edward said as he stood up. "I got to go Sam, sorry." He said as he was rushing out of the cafeteria unsure of whether or not Sam even heard him.

It seemed to take forever for the elevator to reach the ground floor and Edward contemplated taking the stairs. He heard his name being paged again and he was about to head for the stairs when the doors opened and he saw Carlisle standing inside.

"Bella?" Edward asked, fear evident in his tone.

"She's awake son." Carlisle said with a smile.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I took several liberties with medical terminology and procedures. Please forgive me as I know only what my mind remembers from TV shows and a little internet research. I also know I was a vague with her care at the beginning but I didn't want this chapter to get bogged down in medical terms and procedures.**_

_**I also gave Carlisle a little more power than maybe he should have had, but then again I would suspect the Deputy Director of the FBI to have some major power. Plus I like Carlisle being a little bad ass from time to time!**_

_**I know this chapter was short compared to the others and very angsty. I didn't want it to be too much so I left it shorter on purpose. There will be much more action and much more Edward/Bella interaction to come.**_

_**So Paul, very scary dude huh?**_

_**Much love to all for your thoughts, favs and alerts!**_

_**Would love to know what you think about this one!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**SM owns Twilight**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by the Black Crowes**_

_**Sorry for the posting error showing four being posted again. I accidently deleted a chapter and had to repost it. Everything should be good now.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

"There she is." Edward said as he walked over to Bella's bed.

"Edw…" Bella tried to say but her throat was too dry and too sore for her to speak.

"Not yet Bella." Edward said trying to stop her from hurting herself. "Emily could you please go and get Bella some water and ice chips?" Edward asked the nurse attending to Bella when he walked into the room.

"I need to ask you a few questions but I only want you to shake your head yes or no for right now." Edward said as he pulled a small pin light out of his pocket and began checking her pupils.

"Are you in any pain right now?"

Bella shook her head no.

"Do you know where you are?"

Bella shook her head yes.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Bella shook her head yes again.

"I want you to know that you are safe here Bella. Dad has two FBI agents in front of your room and agents posted throughout the hospital." Edward said as he began taking Bella's blood pressure.

Bella shook her head yes again. She watched Edward as he went about his work, checking her vitals and then the machines that were attached to her. Even in her dazed fog she could not take her eyes off of Edward. He was more beautiful than she remembered.

Emily came back into the room setting a pitcher of water and two cups down on the table next to the bed. She poured water into one of the cups and brought the cup with a straw to Bella's lips.

Bella greedily drank the water, the cool wetness of it soothing her burning throat.

"Thank you." Bella rasped out quietly before she began to drink some more.

"No problem sweetie. " Emily answered her, a sweet smile playing on her lips.

"Where's Charlie?" Bella asked after she had drained the cup of its contents.

"He's outside with my dad. I know he is dying to get back in here and see you now that you are awake." Edward said as he wrote something down in Bella's chart.

"How long have I been here?" Bella asked.

Edward sighed putting down Bella's chart and turning to watch Emily leave the room. Once the door was closed he walked over to the bed and sat down on the side of it, taking Bella's hand into his own.

"It's been three days sweetie. After you were brought in you were taking to surgery to repair damage that was done to your heart from the bullet. Since then you have had two other surgeries to repair damage to your sternum, ribs and scapula that were also caused by the bullet."

"Am I…" Bella started to say but her mouth was dry and sore again. Her grip on Edward's hand tightened and with his free hand, he reached over to the cup of ice chips and took several of them bringing them up to Bella's mouth for her to take. As he held the chips there he tried not to let his mind get lost on the fact his fingertips were brushing her lips.

"Thank you." Bella said after the chips had melted in her mouth and soothed her throat. "Am I going to be ok?"

"We are going to keep you here in ICU for a few more days to help prevent any possible infections but yes we feel very confident that you will be ok." Edward answered her with a smile on his face, his eyes locked in hers seemingly getting lost more and more by the second.

The same pull that was there the day they first locked eyes was stronger now that they were closer together.

"Thank you Edward." Bella said breaking the spell the both seemed to be under.

"For what?" Edward asked confused by Bella's words.

"For saving my life." She said squeezing his hand tighter into her own.

"It was my pleasure Bella." He answered her bringing their joined hands up to his lips and gently kissing her knuckles.

A soft knock on the door brought them out of the bubble they had seemed to engulf themselves into.

"Can we come in now Edward?" Charlie's gruff voice asked.

"Of course Charlie." Edward said as he stood from the bed slowly letting go of Bella's hand.

"Hey there baby girl." Charlie said as he walked over to the other side of Bella's bed and leaned down and kissed her forehead. Carlisle stepped in the room behind him standing beside Edward.

"Hey daddy." Bella said with a beautiful smile that warmed the hearts of all three men in the room.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked Bella.

"Tired." She answered him with a frustrated tone in her voice.

"That is to be expected Bella. Your body has been through a lot the past few days. It needs time to heal." Edward said. "If you need to sleep, than sleep sweetie. There are no prizes for speedy recovery." He said to her with a wink.

Bella cheeks got warmer and she could feel a blush taking over. This was a strange feeling for her because she never blushed; she just wasn't one of those girls. The yawn that escaped her next just made her blush even more.

"No fighting it Bella." Edward said patting her arm. "I'm going to go check in with the ER. Rest your weary body darling and I'll be by to see you later."

"We'll let you get some sleep baby girl." Charlie said. He leaned down to kiss her goodbye but Bella stopped him.

"Will you please stay with me?"

"Of course I will baby girl." He answered her with a smile.

"Charlie, I'm going to check in with the office and update Alice and Esme. If you need anything call me." Carlisle said before kissing Bella goodbye and walking out with Edward.

Bella watched as Edward and Carlisle left the room and the blush returned once again when Edward turned back to give her one last look and smile before he left the room. When she finally returned her gaze to Charlie she noticed the grin on his face.

"What?" She asked him a little embarrassed she had been caught watching Edward.

"Nothing baby girl, nothing at all." Charlie smirked as he grabbed a chair and sat down beside Bella holding her hand until she drifted off to sleep.

SSES

Bella woke up hours later, Charlie still holding her hand as he watched TV. Her body was stiff and she felt as if she had been asleep for months.

"Charlie." She rasped out startling Charlie a bit.

"Yes baby girl."

"Can you get me some water please?"

"Of course." He said jumping up from his seat and making his way over to the table that held the pitcher of water.

He held the cup for her while she drank greedily from the straw once again. She felt almost like she would never be able to quench the sudden thirst that she had.

"Did they catch him?" She asked as soon as she finished drinking.

Charlie sighed before turning back to the pitcher to add more water to the cup.

"No…not yet." He said before turning back to her. "They were able to get a registration on the vehicle and they are trying to locate the owner now."

"Did this have something to do with mom?"

"Yes sweetie, we feel pretty strongly that it did."

"Daddy what happened to her?" Bella asked. She could feel the tears starting to take hold of her eyes.

"Not now sweetie." Charlie said wiping the few that escaped. "I promise you Bella, I will tell you everything. Just not this moment ok? You only need to worry about yourself right now. Let Carlisle and I take care of everything else."

Bella was about to protest when Charlie stopped her.

"Please baby girl." He pleaded.

"Ok daddy." She relented.

There was a knock on the door. Alice's jet black spiky hair poked through first followed by her tentative smile.

"Can we come in?"

"Of course you can." Charlie said motioning her and Jasper into the room.

"Oh Bella, thank God." Alice said as she gingerly hugged her best friend with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Please don't cry Alice. I'm ok now."

"I know sweetie, I know. I was just so…I've never been so scared in my life Bella." Alice whispered.

Jasper came over to the bed and put his arm around his wife as he leaned down and kissed Bella's forehead.

"We were all scare little one." He said with a sad smile. "But it's so good to see those beautiful browns of yours again." He said with a loving smile.

"Bella I'm going to go and get you some more water." Charlie said trying to hide the tears that threatened to take him as well.

"I'll go with you Charlie. Maybe we can grab a coffee too." Jasper said.

"That sounds good."

"We'll be back in a little bit." Jasper said before he kissed Alice softly on the lips. "I love you both."

"I love you too." Both Bella and Alice said in return at the same time.

"Oh my sweet girl." Alice said as she ran her fingers gently across the bruise on Bella's cheek from where Demetri had struck her.

"Is it bad?"

"Of course not, you are still as beautiful as ever." Alice said with a teary smile. "I guess those self-defense classes Renee insisted you take helped out a little."

"Yeah a little. It's a shame they don't teach you how to defend gunshot wounds." Bella said as she raised her free hand and traced the bandages on her chest. "I guess I know now why she was adamant about me taking them."

"Renee loved you Bella. Despite everything she loved you." Alice said.

"I know she did." Bella whispered. "Do you know Alice?"

Alice hesitated a moment before shaking her head yes.

"How bad was it?"

"Not yet Bella."

"Alice please, I need to know."

"I know you do sweetie. Just not yet."

"It's really bad isn't it?" Bella asked as tears fell down her cheeks, her heart breaking for whatever pain her mother had endured.

"I promise sweetie, you will know everything soon enough. But not today, not yet." Alice said as she wiped Bella's tears away while trying to fight back her own.

"So the good doctor Edward?" Alice asked trying to change the subject.

"Not very subtle Alice." Bella chuckled a bit.

"Whatever." Alice said waving her hands shaking off Bella's words. "That is a very good looking man. I swear if I wasn't so in love with my husband I might just have to jump his bones, but since I can't I will just have to sit back and watch as you do." Alice said with a wink.

"Alice!" Bella groaned. "He's my doctor."

"Yes but my beautiful girl, but he will not always be your doctor."

"Alice!" Bella groaned again.

"What? You cannot tell me you do not think that man is beautiful."

"Of course he is beautiful Alice, but…"

"But nothing Bella. I have seen the way he looks at you. Sweetie that man may be your doctor right now, but the care I see in his eyes as he has been watching over you these past few days has nothing to do with him being a doctor." Alice says as she raises her eyebrows in a knowing fashion. Almost as if she was daring Bella to doubt her words.

"Did you meet Emmett also?" Bella asked hoping to change the subject and not get her hopes up over nothing.

"Not too subtle Bella!" Alice chuckled but decided to drop it. "Yes I did meet him and heavens me that is another beautiful man. I swear that family won the gene pool lottery."

"You've seen Esme and Carlisle. Would you expect their children to be less than perfect?" Bella asked.

"Of course not. And of course when you and Edward have babies they will be just as beautiful." Alice said with a smirk.

"Holy goodnight Alice! What am I going to do with you?" Bella huffed! "What about you missy? When are we going to see the beautiful babies you and Jasper will make together?"

"God Bella you sound just like my mother!" Alice huffed herself!

Bella couldn't help the fits of giggles that took her over. She silently thanked the medicine Gods for the morphine drip that was coursing through her body at the moment because she knew otherwise that type of pain free laughter would not be possible right now. Her giggle of course sent Alice over the edge too and the two of them enjoyed a much needed break from the past week.

"I love you Alice." Bella said after she calmed down a bit.

"I love you too Bella."

SSES

"Well hello beautiful." Riley's cocky voice called out to Bella as he walked into her room.

"Who are you?" Bella asked suddenly wishing she was not alone in her room. She knew he wouldn't be able to get past the two agents by her door but there was something about this guy that she did not like.

"Who am I? I am crushed." Riley said putting his hand to his heart in a mocking tone. "I'm Dr. Riley Biers. I am the surgeon who saved your life darling."

"And when did you do this?" Bella asked.

"When you came into the hospital." Riley answered her back while he looked over her chart. The more he spoke, the more Bella wanted to slap him.

"And when exactly was that?" Bella asked knowing he had no clue that it had been a week since Bella had been shot. She was being moved into a regular hospital room later on that day, once all of her doctors signed off on her transfer. She had met the other surgeon who had done two of her three surgeries the day she woke up. This was the first she had seen of Biers.

"Two days ago I think it was. I have such a busy schedule it's hard to remember exact dates." He said not even bothering to check the dates on the chart he held in his hand. "Although I could never forget that beautiful face." Riley said with a wink as he finally looked up at her.

Bella felt herself getting sick.

"Actually Riley it was exactly one week ago today that she was brought in." Edward said as he walked into the room. He had been standing just outside the door listening to Riley spewing his brand of bullshit and his last comment was enough as far as Edward was concerned.

"Cullen." Riley said with a sneer.

"I'm sorry Dr. Biers; I was under the impression that it was in fact Dr. Cullen who saved my life." Bella said. "And since he seems to remember exactly when it was that I was brought in I think I may be a little more inclined to go with that impression."

"Yes well you would be wrong about that one darling. But that is to be expected, comas can dull one's intelligence somewhat."

"Excuse me!" Bella exclaimed.

"Biers I suggest you apologize now." Edward said with gritted teeth.

"I meant no offense beautiful. I'm just stating medical fact."

"You are spouting bullshit!" Edward said getting in Riley's face. "I was there you arrogant prick. We both know you barely lifted a finger to help her compared to what everyone else has done."

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"You are my fucking problem Biers. You have seen her twice in the past week and that includes when you were holding her heart in your hand. That should mean something asshole, but obviously it doesn't so don't even come in here and act like the God you think you are."

"Jealous of my glory Cullen? Afraid she might choose me over you?" Biers said with a sneer trying to goad Edward.

"Like you would be worthy of her you arrogant prick." Edward said grabbing Riley by his jacket.

"Edward please don't!" Bella said. Edward looked over at her seeing the concern on her face that he might do something that would be regrettable. Edward released his hold on Riley and stepped away from him.

"She really does have you wrapped doesn't she you big pussy?" Riley said with a smirk as he straightened out his coat.

Edward lunged at Riley and pulled his fist back to punch him when Carlisle and Charlie walked into the room.

"What the hell is going on here? We could hear you down the hall." Carlisle asked grabbing Edward's arm before he could hit Riley.

"Look at that, daddy recuses you again." Riley said. "I could have charges brought up against you for that attack."

"And I could have charges brought up against you for negligence in my follow up care." Bella said. The tone of her voice was very protective of Edward and it caused Riley's color to blanch. "Now Dr. Biers if you have signed my paperwork I would appreciate it if you would leave. You are no longer needed here and I don't care to see you again." Bella said with confidence.

"You're loss!" Riley said as he tried to regain his composure and walk out of the room. "This is far from over Cullen." Riley said before leaving the room.

Before Riley was out of the door, Carlisle was on his phone.

"I want Riley Biers named removed immediately from the list of people who can see Bella Cigno. I want it made clear that if he attempts to see her again that he is to be arrested instantly no questions asked and that I am not opposed to the use of force!" Carlisle said before slamming his phone shut.

"Are you ok kiddo?" Charlie asked.

"I'm fine dad. That guy is just an asshole."

"A major asshole." Edward and Carlisle both said at the same time which caused both Bella and Charlie to laugh.

"Bella I am terribly sorry you had to witness that. Dr. Biers and I have had issues with one another for a while now and well, I let those get the better of me. It was unprofessional and I would understand if you didn't want me to be…"

"Edward." Bella said cutting him off.

"Yes Bella."

"If you finish that sentence I will ask my dad to shoot you." She said with a smile.

Carlisle and Charlie both tried unsuccessfully to hold back their laughter.

It was Bella's smile though that melted away the tension that Edward was carrying throughout his whole body.

"Shutting up now Bella." He said returning her smile.

"Good! Now when am I getting my own room?" Bella asked.

SSES

Carlisle and Charlie decided it would be best to wait until Bella was strong enough to get out of ICU to tell her everything they now knew about Renee's past and Paul McGovern. Edward had asked if he could sit in just in case he was needed from a medical stand point. That is what he told them, but he knew deep down that he just wanted to be there in case Bella needed comforting.

He would never admit it to anyone, but Riley was right, Bella did have Edward wrapped.

Alice, Jasper and Esme had also insisted on being there for Bella to lend whatever moral support she may need.

Bella listened silently as Carlisle told Bella everything. Charlie sat beside her on the bed, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. The further into the story Carlisle got the more the pain of everything hit Bella and by the end of the story her whole body quaked with sobs.

Charlie held her tightly as she cried while Esme and Alice rubbed her back and head. Carlisle, Edward and Jasper stood on the sides of her bed, their hands on her legs in loving support. They all quietly cocooned her body trying to shield her from the pain of finding out about her mother's awful life until the tears she shed gave way to exhaustion and she fell asleep in her father's arms.

Bella woke a few hours later wrapped up in the arms of her dad who had fallen asleep himself. She looked over to find both Carlisle and Edward asleep in chairs beside her bed and Esme, Jasper and Alice asleep on the sofa that had been brought into her room to accommodate her growing family of visitors.

She laid there quietly not wanting to disturb them thinking about how much her life had changed in the past few weeks.

Life with Renee was always unpredictable but in a way that Bella chalked up to her mother being a free spirit. Even when she began to suspect there was something else darker going on she could have never imagined it would turn out the way that it did.

Everything that Bella knew everything that she held secure had all been a lie. Her whole life had been spent running and she never it. Her mother had gone out of her way to protect Bella had given her life up to save her from the same fate she had had to endure.

She had been so angry at her mother since she learned of her death. Angry about the unknown and for the fact that Renee had denied Bella the one thing that she ever wanted by having Charlie in her life as her father. But once she found out the truth, the whole truth she only felt loved.

Loved by a mother who gave up everything to protect her, loved by a father who had wanted her from the moment he found out about her. She was also loved by Carlisle and Esme who had become surrogate parents to her and loved by her best friends who stood beside her in all of this craziness. Most surprisingly to her was that she felt loved by Edward in a protective way that went much deeper than patient doctor.

She knew there was a long way to go in figuring out the shit that was Renee's life, to bringing her killer to justice and to laying her finally to peace. But she knew that in this moment, right there in that hospital room that she was going to be ok.

SSES

Shortly after Bella was moved to a regular room, Alice brought her laptop and cameras to the hospital so she could finish working on the project she was doing with NOAA. Alex and all of NOAA had been very accommodating in working with Bella and making sure she knew they would wait until she was fully recovered to finish the work. It meant a lot to Bella that they were willing to wait, but it went against her very nature not to work so she used the time she was cooped up in the hospital to edit the videos and pictures and put together the report she was hired to complete.

She was looking through a group of pictures that she had taken of coral polyps and the fish and other aquatic life that lived on and around reefs when Edward came in for his daily visit. The past few days he had come to see her at the end of his shift to do a final check on her for the day but he always stayed a few hours to talk. Sometimes the rest of her family was there and sometimes it was just the two of them together.

Bella was quickly realizing the more she was around Edward the more she was falling for him. Of course there was the outside beauty of Edward Cullen that would cause any girl to fall hard for him, but it was the person he was on the inside that was making her head over heels.

Edward was protective of her yet gentle at the same time. He made her laugh, he made her smile and he made her happy. He was very smart which to her was incredibly sexy and he always seemed to be in awe of her own intelligence. He never seemed to be intimidated by what she had accomplished at such a young age which so many guys that she had known before him had been.

But Edward was nothing like the other guys she had known before in her life and that thrilled her.

As did the smile he always had on his face when he walked into the room to see her.

"How's my favorite patient doing?" He asked as he made his way over to the bed.

"I bet you say that to all of your patient's." Bella chuckled at him.

"Nope, just you beautiful." He said which caused Bella to blush. Her blush was something else that only Edward could bring about.

"Pain levels?" Edward asked going into doctor mode as he always did when he first came into her room.

"About a six right now." Bella answered him honestly. She had learned over the past few days that Edward seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to her pain levels and trying to hide the fact she was in deed in pain did not work with him.

"Looks like you are due for another round in an hour, can you make it until than or do I need to call Rebecca?"

"No I think I can make it." Bella answered him. "I'll let you know if it gets worse before then." She added when he raised an eyebrow at her as if he was challenging her.

"That's my girl." He said with a wink before he pulled a chair over to her bed and sat down.

"So what are you working on today?" He asked.

"Right now I am going through some photos I took of polyps. See how these are different from these." She said showing him a picture that had coral polyps that look like fans and another that looks like a brain.

"That one looks like a brain." He said fascinated by the pictures. "Even the color looks like one."

"That's part of the problem." Bella said with a small frown.

"Coral should look like this." She said pulling up a picture that was full of vibrant reds, yellows and purples. "Not like the grayish white color of a brain."

"Those colors are very beautiful." Edward said.

"You should see it up close. I try my hardest to capture the true colors of the ocean but it really does pale in comparison to the real thing. Of course the bleaching effect is also worse than it looks in pictures too." She said again with a frown.

"What causes the bleaching?"

"Different things like water temperature changes, disease, trash, pollution things like that. There are algae that the coral feed off in and return they give the algae shelter and provide a place for them to get sunlight. They are the ones that help with the coloring of coral and when they die off or move away the color goes too. The coral is still alive but slowly dying."

"And when the coral dies?"

"It's bad for the oceans. Nearly half of all aquatic life either lives at or near a reef at some point and many use them as sources of food. Then there is always the effect they have on tides and other things that sustain ocean life. If they all die out the oceans will suffer. If the oceans suffer the earth will suffer."

Edward looked up from the pictures blown away by the passion that was shining in Bella's eyes at that moment.

"I know, I know. I'm on my soap box. Sorry about that. The ocean is just very important to me." She says thinking she has gone too far in her rant.

"No it's not that at all. You just have so much passion when you speak about it. It's an amazing thing to see."

"Oh." Is the only thing Bella's can say.

"You have always been around the water haven't you?" Edward asked.

"I have. Despite moving around all the time, mom always made sure we lived in some sea side town somewhere. It sucked to always move, but it was also kind of nice to see the different beaches of different oceans. I have little collections of sand and shells from each city that we lived in when I was growing up and you can tell a difference in each one of them."

"When did you start diving?"

"I was twelve years old when I went for my first junior certification. By the time I was fourteen I was considered a master diver. My first job was working with kids helping them learn how to breathe with a regulator."

"I have always wanted to dive."

"I'd love to teach you. Then we could go diving together and I can show you everything I love about the ocean." Bella said with a huge smile.

"I would love that too."

"I guess it will be a while before I can go diving though again." Bella said with a sigh lowering her head.

"None of that pretty girl." Edward said tilting her chin back up to look at him.

"You will get there, I promise." He said with a sincere smile that erased the sorrow on her face. "And I'll be looking very forward to that lesson."

"Me too." Bella said, her smile returning. "Maybe I can talk dad into doing it too. I know he has always loved the water too."

"Do you think that is why Renee always had you guys living at the beach?" Edward asked her.

"I do. In her own way, I think mom was able to stay close to dad and maybe give me a little bit of him even though I didn't know it."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Ask away my good man." Bella answered him with a dramatic sweep of her arms.

"I guess maybe it really isn't a question as much as it is an observation. I noticed that you call Charlie dad or daddy all the time now."

"I know it may seem a little early for that. I mean I have only known him for a few weeks now, but I guess as clichéd as it sounds if this nightmare has taught me anything it is that life is too short. I mean I have more or less known that Charlie was my dad since I was a little girl so I guess I have that, but it just seems right. Like he has always been in my life even though neither one of us knew it. Renee did that. In her own quirky crazy dangerous way, mom did that for both of us. Love at first sight is one of those things that people talk about romantically but I believe it happens otherwise. Parents love their children as soon as they hold them as babies so why shouldn't they love them the first time they see them at the age of twenty one. I know Charlie loves me; I can feel it whenever he talks to me or even just looks at me. And I love him too, with all of my heart, I love my dad."

"I think that is just…perfect." Edward said with the smile that made Bella blush.

"Diving together will be really good for the two of you."

"The three of us." Bella said taking Edward's hand in hers.

"Hell let's get the whole family involved. We could make a vacation out of it. I know Emmett would love to have you teach him how to dive." Edward said shaking his head.

"So when do I get to meet this notorious fan of mine?" Bella asked.

"He returns from Mobile tonight. I think he and Rose are planning on coming by tomorrow to meet you if that's ok?"

"Of course it's ok. I would love to meet the rest of your family Edward."

SSES

Emmett paced back and forth outside of Bella's room waiting for Rose and Carlisle to arrive. He had just received news that he knew Carlisle needed to hear but he didn't want to tell him in front of Bella.

"What are you doing out here?" Rose said as she walked up to her pacing husband and pulled him into a hug. Carlisle followed her closely behind and hugged his youngest.

"Where you able to find anything at Renee's house?" Carlisle asked.

"It had been tossed. There was no sign of the money anywhere and everything was destroyed. Of course the only prints we have been able to lift so far have been Renee's. We couldn't even find Bella's there so I am guessing she never made it to her mother's newest house."

"What about Bella's place in Wilmington?" Carlisle asked next.

"It still is untouched. We have agents parked out front of it twenty four hours a day and twice a day they go in and do a sweep of the place just to make sure."

"What about Felix Johnston?" Carlisle asked.

Emmett sighed for a moment before continuing on. "The body of Felix Johnston and a guy named Demetri Houston were pulled from the Potomac this morning. Both men had been beaten, Houston more so than Johnston and both were shot in the head. Corners guess was that they have been dead about as long as Bella has been in here. It will be a few days before DNA is able to confirm if either one of them matches' skin pulled from under Bella's nails although I pretty sure it will be a match. I'm guessing McGovern wasn't happy about the turn of events."

"And we still have nothing linking this bastard to any of this?" Carlisle seethed.

"Not yet dad, but we will. Somewhere, somehow he will fuck up and when he does we will nail his ass to the wall." Emmett answered him trying to calm him down.

"I know son. I just…" Carlisle sighs. "…he just scares the hell out of me." He says as he looks at Bella's door.

"Me too dad." Emmett says before patting his dad on the back.

Emmett, Rose and Carlisle walk into Bella's room to find it already filled with visitors. Edward and Charlie are there of course as are Esme, Alice and Jasper. Sam Uley and Jacob Black are also there visiting with Bella.

Bella looks up and when she sees the big bear Emmett her face erupts into a huge smile.

"About time you got here buddy." Bella says causing Emmett to instantly giggle just like a little kid.

"Bella I'd like you to meet my normally not shy at all little brother Emmett Cullen and his also not usually shy wife Rosalie Cullen."

"Who are you calling little?" Emmett huffed, instantly embarrassed by Edward's words.

"Do you prefer baby brother?" Edward said teasing Emmett even more.

"I prefer much larger younger brother thank you very much." Emmett said in an almost pouty voice. His petulant attitude of course caused the rest of the room to struggle while hiding their snickers.

"Oh Emmett don't be mad at him. I can clearly see you are neither little or a baby." Bella says giving Emmett a wink and opening her arms out for him to greet him with a hug.

Emmett rushed over to Bella but before he could pull her into a hug, voices from all over the room yelled at him to stop and be gentle.

"Sorry Bella. I forgot. It's just a real pleasure to finally meet you." He said as he leaned in and gave her a gingerly hug.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you too Emmett, you and Rosalie both." She said looking around Emmett hoping Rose would come over.

Rosalie walked over to the bed and went to shake Bella's hand when Bella shook her head no and pulled Rose into a hug.

"I've heard a lot of great things about your computer skills Rose, I am very impressed." Bella said with a grin.

"Holy shit Rose, are you blushing?" Emmett asked.

"Shut up." Rose said before turning away from Bella and smacking Emmett on the arm.

The grimace on his face of course caused the room to finally lose their attempts to hide their laughter and the room was filled with it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Bella." Rose finally said with a small smile.

"So Bella, tell me all about swimming with sharks!" Emmett said once the laughter had died down.

Bella spent the next hour answering questions mostly from Emmett but a few others from the rest of the group about her diving experiences and the different places in the world she has been.

The jovial atmosphere of the room was stilled a bit when a volunteer walked into the room carrying a huge vase filled with red roses.

"Holy shit!" Emmett gasped. "There must be three dozen roses at least." He said looking over at his brother. Edward shook his head no to Emmett's unasked question and then turned his attention back to Bella dying to know who had sent the flowers.

The volunteer placed the flowers on a table before taking the envelope and handing it to Bella.

All eyes were watching Bella as she took the card out of the envelope to see just who had sent her such an extravagant thing of roses. Bella's eyes went wide before all of the color drained from her face and her hands begin to shake.

"What is it baby girl?" Charlie asked, rushing quickly to Bella's side. "Who are they from?" He asked before taking the card away from Bella.

"Paul McGovern."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **_

_**So I may have fibbed a bit when I said there would not be a lot of cliffy's with this story. It just slowly seems to be writing itself that way.**_

_**A sweeter chapter but one that maybe left a few questions still lingering, like what the hell is Paul up to now and does the crap of Biers really work on woman?**_

_**Ask away my lovely or just share your thoughts!**_

_**Thanks a million! **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**The way this chapter is set up is so that you have a view of what the main players do in the twenty minutes following the roses being delivered and Paul's name being spoken. Each section is happening more or less at the same time as the others are.**_

_**It is a shorter chapter, but it sets up things that progress the story further.**_

_**Sorry for being a day late. Had a busy weekend and spent Memorial Day with my family. Hope those of you who celebrate it had a safe and happy day and God Bless those who take care of us.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

The room was filled with sudden silence as his name floated out in the air. The soft sound of Bella's cries broke the silence first.

"Please take them away. Please take them away. Please take them away." She began to quietly repeat. She had pulled her legs up into her chest and had buried her head into her arms, hiding herself from having to look at the flowers.

Edward was the first one to hear her pleas and he rushed over to her knowing that she could be on her way to a full blown panic attack.

"Dad!" He said forcibly, pulling his father's attention away from the roses. He nodded his head towards the door and Carlisle instantly knew what he was being asked to do.

"Come on everyone. Edward needs to make sure Bella is ok." Carlisle said as he picked up the vase of flowers and motioned for everyone to leave the room.

Hesitantly they all made their way out of the room, none of them really wanting to leave her now.

"Please take them away. Please take them away. Please take them away." Bella kept repeating. She had begun to rock herself back and forth now and Edward was worried about her hurting herself with these motions.

"Bella sweetie they are gone now." He said gently placing his hands on her arms. When his touch didn't seem to bother her he sat down on the bed in front of her. "Bella the flowers are gone now. Please stop rocking, please Bella, please look up at me."

"Please take them away. Please take them away. Please take them away." She quietly repeated.

Edward moved closer to her trying to calm her movements.

"Bella sweetie, it's me, Edward. The flowers are gone. It's just you and I right now pretty girl, I won't let anything happen to you." He said as he moved his body closer to hers to try and stop her rocking.

"Edward." Bella whispered, finally stopping her rocking and chanting but she would not look up yet. "I can still smell them."

"Unfortunately that smell will linger for a few more minutes, but I promise you they are gone. Do you trust me?" He asked.

With those words, Bella lifted her face and looked Edward in the eyes.

"With my life." She whispered.

Edward was relieved to see her face again and despite the tears rolling down her cheeks the words she had softly spoken radiated happiness throughout his whole body.

"Come here beautiful." He said as he pulled her softly into his arms.

Bella could feel everything rushing away from her the moment his arms were around her. She felt safe there, as if she were meant to be there.

"How do you do that?" She asked her voice muffled in his shoulder.

"Do what Bella?"

"Make me feel so safe? From the first time you spoke to me that day, I felt like nothing could hurt me and I was never scared."

"I…I have this desire, a need really, to take care of you."

"I guess it's a doctor thing." Bella said as she began to pull away from Edward hoping he would not hear the disappointment in her voice.

Feeling her slip away, Edward pulled her tighter into him, not wanting to lose the feeling he had holding her in his arms.

"It's a Bella thing beautiful. I have never felt like this with anyone else…patient or otherwise."

As the words left his mouth he could feel Bella melt into him even more. He knew was crossing boundaries and violating oaths at this moment but he could have cared less. His heart was currently leading the charge and not his head.

Bella turned her head into his embrace further and buried her nose into his neck. The smell of Edward was soothing to her nerves and something she longed for to help take away the smell of the flowers.

"Bella did you just sniff me?" He asked her with a chuckle.

"I did." She answered him with a sigh.

"Is there a reason for that?"

"I love the way you smell?"

"You like the smell of a hospital?"

"No actually I hate the smell of the hospital, but that's not what I smell with you. It is something that is uniquely you. It's hard to explain and I'm not sure that I could describe as one certain thing, but it calms me. I first noticed it when you pulled me closer to you to check to see if the bullet had left my body. Your scent stayed with me the whole time and made me feel whole. I thought it was some weird reaction to the shock of that moment and then well…when I was in the coma I dreamt about it. When I first woke up and you came in to check on me I could smell it again and I knew, knew that it was real and that it had helped me. That you had been there for me the whole time watching over me and keeping me safe."

"Bella…I…" Edward said struggling to find the words to match the feelings in his heart at that moment.

"No words yet Edward." Bella said reaching up and gently placing her fingers over his lips. "Just this right now please, just us." She begged.

"Anything for you beautiful girl." He mumbled against her fingers before kissing them softly.

SSES

"What is your name and where did you get those flowers from?" Carlisle barked at the elderly volunteer who brought the flowers into the room.

"I'm on the list." Was the only thing the timid woman could answer him with.

He began to question her again when Esme jumped in.

"Carlisle Cullen, stop that right now!" Esme said to her husband in a tone he knew better than to go against. "Her name is Sadie Jenkins. She has been a volunteer here for the past twenty five years. You will not bark at her like that. She was simply doing her job. If you want to bitch at someone you need to go after the agents you had posted outside of the door who did not check what was being brought in first."

She may have been a good foot and a half shorter than her husband, but at that moment Esme Cullen was ten feet tall in her words and tone.

"You're right dear." Carlisle said with a sigh finally realizing what he had just done. "I am so very, very sorry Ms. Jenkins. Please forgive me." He asked her.

"Ms. Sadie my husband is not normally a world class jerk, but the young woman in there is very important to us and unfortunately those flowers are from an unwelcome source." Esme said with that motherly softness in her voice. "Could you please tell us where you got those from?"

"They were dropped off at the front desk and they asked me to deliver them along with others on my rounds." Ms. Sadie answered Esme. Her eyes were focused on Carlisle though to see if he would react badly once again.

"Of course you were dear." Esme says patting her on the arm. "How are your grandchildren doing?" Esme asked walking her away from her husband.

"Emmett get down to the front desk and talk to the people down there. Rose please go to security and see if there is any footage we can use." Carlisle said before turning his attention to the agents who were standing watch outside of Bella's door.

"Did you not inspect the flowers before they were allowed into her room?"

The two agents looked at each other and then back at Carlisle.

"Sir I stepped away for a moment to…well I had to relieve myself sir and Agent Smith was standing guard by himself evidently when the lady came with the flowers." The young agent said.

"There were two agents standing inside the very room you were watching and five others in the hospital, you couldn't wait five minutes and take the time to ask one of us to come and stand post for you while you took a piss break?" Carlisle asked the young agent before turning his attention to Agent Smith.

"And you, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Well sir… I checked to make sure that her name was on the list…and then I…well there was a distraction and I…I…"

"You what Smith? What the fuck had you so distracted you couldn't go one step further and see who had sent the flowers as per your fucking job?"

"Sir there was this…person…and well she…"

"Oh I get it, you were too busy trying to score pussy to pay attention and do your job. Meanwhile you allowed flowers from the person who is suspected of putting the very girl you are protecting in the hospital in the first fucking place to be delivered to her."

"I…I…I…" Agent Smith struggled.

"Get out of my face right now. Report back to the office and tell your immediate supervisor that I have placed you on unpaid leave. If you are lucky your next assignment will be cleaning port a potties after political speeches in Texas in July."

"And you…" Carlisle said turning his attention back to the first agent. "I don't care if you have to start wearing a diaper you will not take another piss break until it is time for your shift to be over, do I make myself clear?"

"Sir yes sir." The agent replied to him.

"Now go and get me another agent to stand here with you for the rest of the evening."

"Carlisle you need to calm down." Charlie said walking over to him.

"Charlie…I…I'm so sorry." Carlisle said seemingly at a loss for his own words now. "I never should have been so complacent in my job. I should not have assumed they would do their jobs. I cannot believe I allowed him to get that close to her."

"Carlisle stop!" Charlie said in a harsher tone. "I think we all took for granted that she was safe, even from something as simple as flowers. She should be safe with that many agents." Charlie sighed and then slid down the wall outside of Bella's room.

"How did he even know she was here? Who the hell is this guy Carlisle? I know he is a criminal, but this shit, this isn't criminal this is crazy. Why…why Bella? He is our age Carlisle, old enough to be her father, hell he could have been her father had Renee not gotten away from him so why her?" Charlie rubbed his hands over his face before knocking his head back in frustration against the wall.

"I feel like I keep letting her down, like I keep letting Renee down. I promised I would protect her and…fuck! I swear to God Carlisle I have never wanted a person dead before in my life but this son of a bitch, I want him dead. I want him to suffer like Renee had to. I want him to pay for missing out on my daughter's life. I want him to regret ever thinking about Isabella Cigno let alone trying to hurt her."

"I know you do Charlie. I want that too and so help me I will make sure it happens." Carlisle answered him as he slid down next to Charlie, the two men sitting watch over Bella's room.

As they sat there waiting for new agents to come and stand watch over the room before returning to check to see how Bella was doing, someone caught Charlie's eye and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Carlisle." He said pointing in the direction of the figure that was now retreating.

"Rose." Carlisle said into the phone he had pulled out of his pocket as soon as he caught a glance of the retreating form. "I know we already did a background check on everyone who had anything to do with Bella, but I need a deeper check on someone."

SSES

"Is that young lady related to you Dr. Cullen?" Sadie Jenkins asked Esme as she walked her towards the elevators.

"I have come to love her as if she were one of my own but no she is not related. She is the daughter of two of our best friends from childhood." Esme said with a smile for the kindly woman she had come to know on her visits to the hospital to see patients of hers.

"Is she going to be ok?" Sadie asked.

"We are doing our best to make sure that she is." Esme answered her.

The elevator doors opened and Sadie pushed her delivery cart on to it waving goodbye to Esme before the doors closed.

As Esme turned to go back to Bella's room she noticed Alice and Jasper sitting in the waiting room. Jasper was holding his wife and trying to calm her down.

"Alice dear, are you ok?" Esme asked her as she took the seat next to Alice and began to rub her back.

"I'm scared Esme. I'm terrified for Bella." Alice answered her honestly.

"I know sweetie." Esme sighed. "Quite frankly, so am I."

"She should be safe in a hospital Esme." Jasper said before kissing Alice's head. "But she isn't. If this guy is brazen enough to send her flowers after trying to have her taken in broad daylight what's to say he won't try something else, something a lot worse than he already has."

"I know Jasper. In fact I think I need to have a talk with my husband about Bella being released from the hospital and taken somewhere that even if McGovern finds out where she is there will not be a chance in hell of him trying to get to her there."

"Where are you thinking about Esme?" Alice asked looking up at her for the first time.

"My house of course." Esme said with a smile.

SSES

Rose was scanning through videotape of hospital security cameras when Emmett came to meet her at the Security offices.

"It was a delivery guy who dropped the flowers off. I spoke with someone from the shop and they can confirm that a Paul McGovern called the order in. He paid by credit card and they said there was nothing out of the ordinary about his conversation with them." Emmett informed Rose before he took the seat next to her and began watching the screen with her.

"Do you have the card number; I can trace it and see if we can get anything from it?" Rose asked.

"You know it baby." Emmett answered her with a grin.

"That's my good agent." Rose chuckled.

"Wait Rosie go back a moment." Emmett said turning his attention back to the tape that Rose was skimming through.

"Did you see McGovern?"

"No but I did see…when is this tape from?" Emmett asked.

"The time stamp is yesterday afternoon." Rose replied.

"There baby, stop there." Emmett said. "Motherfucker." He said before taking his phone out of his pocket.

"Who is that?" Rose asked.

"James Spencer."

"Isn't he…"

"Yes Rosie, he is head of security for Harlen industries."

"Who is he talking too?" Rose asked trying to enhance the screen to get a clear picture of the person that James was talking to in the hospital's parking deck but having no luck. "This equipment is for shit, I'll have to get this footage back to the office to see if I can enhance it further."

"Do what you need to do baby, but I'm guessing from the clothes we now know how McGovern knew exactly where Bella was located at."

Just as Emmett was about to hit send on his phone, Rose's own phone began to ring.

"It's Carlisle." She told him before answering it.

SSES

"This shipment was short two crates of Glock 18's. That's twice in the past month that that has happened Paul." James said as he watched his boss pace back and forth in the tiny office of the warehouse they were currently occupying in DC.

"Paul, are you listening to me?" James asked.

"Yeah, yeah, listen James this isn't a good time. I'm waiting on a call." Paul said as he resumed his pacing.

"Not a good time? Paul, the Scatori's have fucked us over one too many times on shipments and something needs to be done about this now. What phone call could be more important than that?"

Just as Paul was about to answer his phone rang.

"Talk to me." Paul said as he stopped pacing and listened to the person on the line.

"What do you mean she didn't like them? How could she not like them?"

"Of course it caused an issue. I wanted it to cause an issue but I wanted her to like them as well. What woman doesn't like roses?" Paul said. His voice was growing more and more aggravated as he began pacing the floor again.

"What gives him the fucking right to take them away from her?" Paul seethed. "I don't give a fuck who the hell he is, he has no right taking something I have given to Bella away from her."

James eyes go wide as he hears Paul's side of the conversation and he realizes just what he has done.

"I guess I'll have to go bigger next time. Give her something that she will not allow them to take away from her. Just keep me informed of what is going on there." There was a pause as the other person spoke. "I don't give a fuck who is suspicious, do the fucking job I am paying you very well for." Paul seethed before hanging up his phone and throwing it down on the desk in front of him.

"Paul what the fuck have you done? Please tell me you did not send flowers to Bella Cigno."

"Do not question me!" Paul yelled at James.

"Paul this has to stop, you cannot pursue this girl like that. My God Paul she is twenty six years younger than you are. You killed her mother, what the fuck makes you think that she would willingly come to you?"

"Because I am Paul motherfucking MCGovern and I always get what I want and I want _her_ James."

"Paul, be reasonable. There is plenty of other pussy out there for you to woo and or take. This girl's father is a cop and she is currently being protected by the Deputy Director of the FBI. You're father went for thirty years without so much as a sniff in his direction from the locals and now you have the FBI on your ass."

"Don't. Mention. My. Father. To. Me." Paul said through gritted teeth.

"Damn it Paul, I know you think you never lived up to his expectations of you, but do you really want to prove him right by being this careless."

With those words, Paul lunged at James and pinned him up against the wall, his hands around James' throat.

"I told you not to mention my father to me. I will not hesitate to end you James you know that. Do not fuck with me and do not tell me what to do. I want Isabella Cigno and she will be mine." Paul said before letting James go and storming out of the office.

"We'll see about that." James muttered through coughs trying to catch his breath before pulling out his phone!

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><p><em><strong>AN: Busy twenty minutes. In the movie screen that plays in my head when I am writing I saw this as having split screens where each of the actions are taking place all at once. **_

_**Much love to you all and I would love to hear your thoughts! **_


	7. Chapter 7

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**I have been oh soo bad, I know ok maybe not Paul bad but bad none the least. I apologize and beg for forgiveness. **_

_**I also wanted to do something I don't usually do which is pimp my own stuff, but my story Bridges made it into the second round of voting in the Avant Garde Awards for best happily ever after. If you get a chance please check it out and maybe give it some love by voting for it or some of the other many wonderful stories up for all categories. Voting is open until June 26**__**th**__**.**_

_**www**__**(dot) avantgardeawards(dot) com**_

_**Now onto the story.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

"Are you comfortable dear?" Esme asked Bella once she was settled into one of the guest bedrooms at the Cullen house.

The decision to move Bella had been agreed upon quickly once Esme mentioned it to the others. They had moved Bella in the middle of the night when there would be fewer people milling around and less attention given to what was going on.

As soon as they got to the house Esme helped Bella take a shower so she could get the smell of the hospital and Paul's flowers out of her senses.

"Are you kidding me Esme, this bed is a hundred times better than that hospital bed could ever dream of being." Bella answered her with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm glad to hear that sweetie. Our bedroom is just up the stairs and your dad is across the hall. If you need anything at all just yell for one of us and someone will be here. I know Edward said you could get up and move around on your own but sweetie please try and take it easy when you are by yourself." Esme asked her with so much motherly love and concern in her eyes that Bella couldn't control her emotions and tears fell from her eyes as the loss of Renee flooded her.

"Sweetie what's wrong are you in pain?" Esme asked her.

"No it's not that Esme, it's just…I miss her…so much." Bella said as she allowed her grief to take over.

"I know sweet girl." Esme said pulling Bella into her arms and letting her cry.

After a while, Bella's tears began to dissipate and she relaxed the tight hold she had on Esme.

"Thank you Esme." Bella said. "For everything."

"No need to thank me Bella. I love you sweet girl as if you were one of my own. I know we haven't known each other for very long, but sweetie you are a part of my family now, you and your dad both. I will always regret losing touch with Charlie and Renee both, will regret not being there for your mom. And while I cannot change the past regrets I can try and make up for them by being here for you no matter what. I want to take care of you Bella, in whatever way you will let me; I will be here for you."

"We both will be." Carlisle said from the doorway where he and Charlie had been standing watching the exchange between Bella and Esme.

"Thank you." Bella said quietly before a yawn escaped her.

"Get some sleep Bella. Edward will be by later this morning to check on you and so will Alice and Jasper." Esme said as she patted Bella on the leg before getting off the bed.

Edward was still on duty at the hospital and had been unable to make the trip to the house to get Bella settled. Alice and Jasper had left earlier in the evening to go back to Bella's temporary apartment and began packing it up. Her things were going to be moved to the Cullen's house. Bella never traveled with a lot of things so it would not take long to get the apartment back in order for the next person.

Carlisle and Charlie both came over to the bed to kiss Bella goodnight.

"Dad would you mind staying with me for a little bit?" Bella asked Charlie.

"Of course not baby girl." Charlie answered her with a huge smile. He loved it when she called him dad or daddy and when she did it made the past few weeks a little more bearable.

Charlie climbed into the queen sized bed beside Bella and she nestled her head onto his shoulder.

"Tell me about your mom." Bella asked him.

"Actually you will get to meet her very soon." Charlie chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"With everything going on, we wanted to make sure that she was safe just in case McGovern found out who she was and tired something. I had to call her to explain everything that was going on and why there would be FBI agents watching over her."

"Was she mad?"

"I don't know that mad is the proper word to use. My mother is very independent and a bit of a fireball." Charlie chuckled again at the memory of the choice words coming out of his tiny mother's mouth.

"Does she want to meet me?" Bella asked with doubt in her voice.

"Oh my sweet girl, more than anything she wants to meet you. Once I explained everything and she knew she had a granddaughter she insisted on coming up here immediately. She should be arriving sometime later this afternoon."

"Does she hate mom?"

"No Bella, she could never hate your mom. She adored Renee, said she thought of her as the daughter she never had. Even after everything that happened when your mom left me she didn't hate her. She was angry with her but she never hated her and now…well now that we all know the truth, she is angry that Renee had to go through so much and never had any help and she is mourning the loss of someone that she loved dearly."

"It will be nice to have a grandparent." Bella said with a yawn. "Tell me about her please."

"Her name is Katherine but everyone calls her Katie and like I said she is a bit of a fireball."

Charlie continued on with his description of his mother and had been talking for about thirty minutes when he noticed that Bella's breathing had slipped into a slow comfortable pattern and he could tell she was asleep. He lowered her gently onto her pillow before he lay down beside her and watched her sleep.

"I love you my sweet Bella." He said as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'm so glad I have you in my life now."

Charlie watched Bella sleep until his own lids gave way to exhaustion and he fell asleep beside his daughter.

SSES

Bella woke up the next morning to Charlie's soft snores. She couldn't help the smile that lifted her tired eyes. She knew Charlie had not been sleeping well and she was glad to see him rest soundly. She lay there studying his features in a way she had not been able to before. He was a handsome man, she had always known that from the pictures, but seeing him like this, peaceful and tranquil, she could see instantly why her mother had fallen in love with him and why she had never gotten over him.

She knew her mother had never really dated anyone and that she had never seemed interested in finding the one. She always figured it was because they moved around so much. But knowing her mother's secret's now she knew it was because she was still in love with Charlie and that she never wanted to find someone else because he was her one.

She began to wonder about Charlie and if he had ever loved anyone other than her mom. She knew from conversations with him that he was not dating anyone now but she wondered if he had anyone special in his life since Renee left him. It saddened her to think of both of her parents being alone, holding out for each other and not being able to do anything about that because of a crazy man.

Bella sighed as she looked at Charlie one last time before she got up to use the restroom and move around a little bit. She was beginning to get sore from her bed rest and she wanted to stretch her body out a little.

Looking over at the clock she saw that it was 10:00 in the morning. Her bladder began to scream at her and she got up to answer its angry call and to freshen up before going to see if the rest of the house was stirring.

After taking care of personal needs she made her way towards the kitchen where she could smell coffee brewing. The sound of mumbles stopped her short of the kitchen door causing her to look over into the breakfast nook that stood over to the side.

"Fucking laughing pigs." Emmett mumbled to himself as he shook his phone.

"Emmett what are you doing?" Bella asked him with a chuckle in her voice.

"Playing Angry Birds." He answered her without looking up as his finger slid across his phone's screen.

"What's that?" Bella asked him.

This drew Emmett's attention away from his phone and he looked up at Bella with shock on his face.

"You have never heard of Angry Birds?"

"Nope!"

"Come let me teach you the power of the birds." Emmett said with a childlike smile. Bella went over and sat on the bench beside him. Over the next thirty minutes Emmett showed Bella how to play the game on his i-Phone and the two of them took turns playing different levels and working to destroy the egg stealing pigs.

"Can I ask you something Bella?" Emmett asked her before handing the phone back to her for her next turn.

"Anything." Bella answered him as she began to slide her finger across the screen.

"Are you ok? I mean really ok?"

Bella paused her movements and looked up at Emmett, seeing nothing but concern and care in his eyes.

"I think so." She sighed as she put the phone down on the table. "There are times when I think I have to be dreaming. It just all seems so crazy to me, like it should be some plot of a movie and not my life. But it is this is my life now."

"I know but it won't be forever." He paused for a moment before continuing on. "I'm sorry Bella." Emmett said with his own sigh.

"What are you sorry for Em?"

"For not getting to you fast enough to stop him from hurting you, for not being able to stop him yet. You don't deserve his shit Bella. I just want you to know that I swear to you I am, we all are, doing everything we can to stop him from hurting you again."

"Em you have nothing to apologize for. You couldn't have known what would happen; you couldn't have known what he was capable of."

"But I was there Bella, I…"

Bella put her hand up cutting Emmett off.

"Stop it Emmett Cullen right now." Bella's hands moved to his face and cradled it. "You have done more than enough to take care of me since that day. I know you were there Emmett but there is nothing that you or our dads could have done to stop what happened. I'm grateful for all that you and Rose have done to help me. I'm grateful to your mom and dad for opening their house to me for protection and I am grateful to Edward for saving my life and taking care of me the way he has. I couldn't ask for better guardian angels then the Cullens."

Once she finished talking she leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"Thank you." Emmett said before taking her hands in his own and pulling Bella into a gentle hug.

"So tell me pretty girl, you got a boyfriend?" Emmett asked her after they pulled away from their embrace. He began wiggling his eyebrows at her while he waited for her answer.

Bella couldn't help but laugh at his silly change of topic.

"What would Rose say?"

"Not for me silly, for Edward." Emmett answered her.

Bella's face instantly turned pink and she turned to hide it from Emmett.

"Oh what a minute, what is with that blush? Do you have a little crush on my big brother? You do don't you?"

"Stop it Emmett!" Bella said swatting at his arm but refusing to look at him.

"Bella is smitten, Bella is a smitten kitten." Emmett began to chant.

"Emmett leave her alone." Edward said walking into the kitchen. He was still wearing his scrubs and Bella realized he must have come over as soon as his shift was over with instead of going back to his place first.

The combination of Edward walking into the kitchen and her not knowing if he had heard their conversation caused the blush on Bella's face to deepen even further.

"How are you doing this morning?" Edward asked as he came over and kissed her on the cheek seemingly ignoring the red glow of the skin he kissed.

"Good." Bella managed to squeak out.

"You haven't been over doing it have you?"

"No, just playing games with Emmett." She answered him trying to get her color and voice to return to normal.

Emmett looked at Bella and then at Edward noticing the way the two of them seemed to get lost in the other.

"Good." Edward said breaking his gaze from Bella. "I'm going to go shower and change." He said before turning to leave the room.

Bella watched him as he left the room and then turned to see Emmett staring at her with a huge grin on his face.

"What?" Bella said before she picked up Emmett's phone again trying to ignore his stares.

"Nothing darling." Emmett said with a chuckle before leaning in to her and quietly saying, "…if it makes you feel any better, I would say Edward is a bit smitten too."

"I doubt that." Bella said trying to hide the hope in her voice.

"What is there to doubt?"

"Edward probably has women lined up left and right for him to choose from. I saw how the nurses would ogle him when they came into my room. What would he want with a kid?"

"First of all you are not a kid Bella; you are a very intelligent, very beautiful woman who clearly did not see the men ogling her while in the hospital. Second of all yes Edward does have woman lined up to be with him, but that isn't what he wants, it never was. Edward and I grew up with two parents who clearly love one another and have an almost perfect marriage. Sure they have their issues and their problems but at the end of the day they love each other and their family. That is a hell of a role model to live up to. Neither one of us has ever been the player type. I think that may be why Edward despises that Biers jerk so much. He is the stereotypical douche doctor that gives other doctors bad reps. Edward isn't looking for a vapid gold digger, he wants more than that. He has been holding out for more than that. _You_ Bella are more than that." He finished with a wink.

Bella was about to say something else when Emmett's phone rang.

"Hey Rosie." He answered and Bella couldn't help the smile on her face at hearing the loving tone in his voice.

"That's great news baby, good job. I'm heading into the office now." Emmett said before hanging up his phone.

"I got to go sweetie. Tell the others I'll see them later." He said before kissing Bella on the head and rushing out of the room before Bella could question him about the information he just received from Rose.

SSES

"Come on…no!" Bella screamed as she sat on the couch.

The sound of her voice had Edward running to where Bella sat in the living room. She was leaning against the back of the couch but he could tell from the hunch of her shoulders that she was not relaxing as she should be.

"Fall, fall come on fall." She said as she shook something. "Come on you piece of shit." She begged whatever she had her attention on. "Well that just sucks assholes!" She finally huffed.

It was her final words that caused Edward's guard to drop and his laughter to take over.

The sound of Edward's laugh broke Bella from her trance and she turned to see him standing there leaning against the door frame to the living room. He was now wearing basketball shorts and a faded black t-shirt and Bella couldn't stop the blush that took her over once again as she stared at him in all of his casual glory.

"What on earth are you doing beautiful?" Edward said through his laughter.

"Playing this stupid game your stupid brother has gotten me stupidly addicted to!"

"Angry birds?" Edward asked.

"Yes!" Bella huffed. "You too?"

"Afraid so, worse because I have it on my i-Pad."

"Seriously, you have it on a bigger screen? Do you have it with you?" She asked him hopefully.

"I do." He said walking over to his messenger bag and pulling out his i-Pad. He walked over to the couch and sat next to Bella, giving her the tablet and watching as she turned the screen on and found the right app.

"Right there, right there." Bella said patting Edward on the arm.

They had been playing Angry Birds for an hour and Bella was becoming more and more animated as she played or as she watched Edward play.

"One more, ooh one more. Yes right there Edward, right there. Yes!" Bella yelled as she grabbed Edward and kissed his cheek.

The words of her cheers, the excitement in her voice as she said them and the feel of her lips on his skin sparked a reaction in Edward that he had been trying his hardest to deny since he first laid eyes on her before all hell broke loose that awful day.

He turned to look at her and became so overwhelmed by the beauty of her joyful smile that he leaned in and kissed her soft lips.

Bella is stunned at first; surprised that Edward did what she wanted him to do for days. It was when he pulled away, a look of fear on his face that Bella came to her senses and pulled him back to her, their lips meeting once again.

The longer their lips lingered on one another, the closer their bodies came together. Bella's hands went into the back of Edward's soft hair, pulling him into her more as her mouth opened to his, seeking to deepen their kiss.

With this invitation, Edward pulled her into his lap and accepted her desire by sliding his tongue into her mouth. The sweet dance that began shortly thereafter left the two of them raging with want and something more that neither of them could fully comprehend.

The need for air finally broke them apart and as they stared into each other's eyes a smile lit up their faces.

"That was…" Edward began.

"Amazing." Bella finished.

"You don't think it was crazy, some hero worship crush thing?" Edward asked hoping against hope that she did not feel this way.

"Let me ask you something Edward and I want you to answer me without thinking about it, just the honest quick truth."

"Ok."

"Did you want to kiss me?"

"Yes." He answered her immediately.

"And how long have you wanted to kiss me?"

"Since I first saw you on the street before…well you know." He answered her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Then it isn't crazy and it isn't hero worship. I have wanted to kiss you since that moment too Edward. There is just something about you, something that pulls me to you and it has only increased since I have gotten to know you better. The circumstances may be messed up but that doesn't change the way I feel when I am with you. You make me smile, you make me laugh, you make me feel beautiful."

"You are beautiful Bella." Edward says as he places his hands gently on her face.

"This is what I mean. Your words and your actions are what make this feel right to me."

"It feels right to me too." Edward says as he slowly pulls Bella's head closer to his own and kisses her on the lips.

"Have dinner with me Bella?" Edward asked as he pulled back from her slightly.

"Do you mean like a date?" Bella asked him with a huge smile on her face.

"Yes a date. I know it won't be the traditional going out to a restaurant right now but we can figure something out so it is just the two of us."

"That sounds perfect. Yes Edward I would love to have dinner with you."

"Oh my beauty, _that _sounds perfect." Edward says as he leans in and kisses her again.

SSES

After a bit more making out fatigue began to set into Bella's eyes and Edward walked her back to her room, tucking her into bed and kissing her forehead before leaving her to get the rest her body needed.

After leaving Bella he went to the kitchen to try and find something to eat when Jasper walked into the kitchen carrying a box.

"Hey Jasper do you need some help?" Edward asked him.

"There are a few more boxes out in my car." Jasper answered him. His tone was somewhat curt and Edward couldn't help but wonder why Jasper, who was normally very polite and quiet in his tone, would be that way with Edward.

"Are you ok Jasper?" Edward asked him.

"Fine." Jasper replied before placing the box down on the floor and heading back to his car without giving Edward another glance.

Edward followed him to help bring in the boxes. Jasper barely acknowledged him the whole time they were working and Edward couldn't help but sense that Jasper was pissed at him for some reason. Never one to beat around the bush, Edward figured a blunt approach would be the best thing.

"Man what the fuck is your problem?" He asked stepping in front of Jasper who was trying to make his way back to his car.

Jasper stared at Edward for a moment before the anger he was trying to hold in took hold of him and he pushed Edward against the wall holding his arm against his chest.

"You are my fucking problem." Jasper seethed.

Edward was shocked by the force of Jasper's actions and his words. He stood there stunned trying to figure out what the hell was the matter with him.

"What did I do?" He managed to finally get out.

"I saw you." Jasper said trying to regain his composure.

"You saw me what?" Edward asked as the shock wore off of him and his own anger started to take over as he pushed Jasper off of him.

"Not here." Jasper said looking around before he made his way past Edward and out the door.

Edward quickly followed him, grabbing him by his arm and spinning him around once they were outside of the house.

"I'll ask you one more time Jasper, what the fuck is your problem?"

"I saw you asshole, I saw you kissing Bella."

"And?" Edward asked having no clue as to why this would piss Jasper off so much.

"And? Are you fucking kidding me?" Jasper said before swinging at Edward and connecting with his jaw. Edward fell to the ground and Jasper rushed over to him pulling him up by his t-shirt.

"In the time span of three weeks her mother has been murdered by a crazy son of a bitch who has now decided he wants her to the point of trying to kidnap her which resulted in her almost dying. Then one of the doctors who operated on her spent all of his time hitting on her and trying to get into her pants. When I saw you defend her in the hospital I thought you were different that you were a nice guy but then I come here today and see you practically dry humping her. You are no different than Biers! You know what I take that back, you are worse than him because you are playing to her innocence and trying to weasel your way into her bed. Is this some kind of game you have with Biers, you both try to one up each other's knots in your posts?"

Jasper was so enraged at that moment he couldn't see clearly. It was the touch of a small hand that began to clear his head finally.

"Jasper." Bella said. She was standing beside him, her hand on his arm trying to keep him from hurting Edward.

"Bella you should be in bed." Edward said pushing himself up from Jasper's grasp and going over to Bella to protect her incase Jasper's anger directed itself at her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I heard yelling." She answered him. She gasped a little as she saw the swelling on his jaw where Jasper's rage had be directed moments earlier.

"Jasper what the hell did you do?" She seethed walking over to him and pushing him.

"Bella don't." Edward said pulling her arm back gently. "You'll hurt yourself."

"I don't care right now. What the hell happened?" She said looking back and forth between Jasper and Edward.

"Jasper saw us kissing." Edward answered her.

"And that gives him the right to go all heavy weight?" She yelled her anger growing even more.

"Bella I…" Jasper started but then stopped.

"You what Jasper? You forgot that I am an adult and capable of making my own decisions?"

"I don't trust him Bella."

"You did until you saw him kissing me."

"I thought he was different, but now all I see is that asshole Biers."

"Fuck you Jasper." Edward yelled. "I am nothing like that prick." He stepped around Bella and began moving towards Jasper.

"The hell you aren't." Jasper said coming towards Edward himself. "Preying on a young girl like some twisted conquest."

"Stop it both of you." Bella screamed putting herself between the two men.

Both men stopped at the tone of her voice and stared down at the tiny girl in front of them.

"Jasper when are you going to realize I am not a kid anymore?" She yelled at him.

"I…"

"I…nothing." Bella said interrupting him. "Jasper I love you with all of my heart. You are the best brother a girl could ask for whether by blood or friendship and I know you are just looking out for me, but you are wrong." She said her tone calming down a bit.

"Do you trust me Jasper?" Bella asked him.

"Of course I do Bella but I'm afraid that your judgment is clouded by everything that has happened."

"Jasper if anything my judgment is sharper now than it ever has been. I saw through Biers bullshit very quickly and dismissed him right away didn't I?"

"Yes but…"

"But nothing." Bella said as she walked over to him and took his face into her hands. "You know me better than that Jasper; you know I am a good read when it comes to guys' bullshit. I like him Jasper, very much. He's good to me big brother. He doesn't treat me like a kid or like some conquest. He listens, really listens to me when I talk. He's not like the other's I promise. He's different, this is different. Talk to him Jasper, get to know him and you'll see."

"Ok." He answered her with a sigh.

"Thank you." She said with a smile before she stood on her toes and kissed him softly before walking back over to Edward.

"Are you ok?" She asked him gently rubbing the bruise that was forming on his jaw.

"I'm ok." He answered her taking her hand from his jaw and kissing it. "You need to rest Bella."

"I will, I promise if you promise me you will talk to each other." She said looking back at Jasper and then back over to Edward.

"I promise." They both answered her at the same time before heading back into the house.

Edward went with Bella to tuck her back into bed while Jasper went to the kitchen to get some ice for Edward's jaw before going to the living room to wait for him. He knew he had fucked up and that he needed to make things better for Bella. He overacted, all of the anger and fear that he had been holding onto for the past few weeks finally boiling over and erupting to the surface.

"I'm sorry." Jasper said holding up the bag of ice for Edward when he heard him walk into the room although we would not look up at him.

"It's ok I guess." Edward responded taking the bag from him and sitting down on in the chair opposite of the one Jasper was sitting in before placing the ice on his face.

"No it's not Edward." Jasper sighed finally looking up at him. "It was an asshole thing to do and one that will probably cause my wife to kick my ass." He said with a shudder.

This caused Edward to chuckle to himself remembering his first encounter with Alice.

"She is pretty fierce for someone so tiny."

"That is an understatement!" Jasper said with his own chuckle.

The two men sat there in silence, neither of them sure how to proceed with the conversation.

"What did Bella mean when she said I wasn't like the others?" Edward asked finally breaking the silence.

"You have to understand what it was like for Bella growing up." Jasper started. "I know you know the basics that she moved around a lot, graduated from both high school and college early but there is so much more that Bella would never really talk about. She barely talked about it with Alice and I but there were those rare moments when she would let herself be vulnerable I guess you could call it and she would open up to us. She once told us how much it bothered her to start a new school which she unfortunately did a lot. Since they always lived in small towns the schools she went to were small and of course they knew about her instantly. She said she felt like this shiny new toy who all the guys wanted to play with and all the girls hated. The fact the girl is beautiful and smart just made her even more of a wonder in their eyes and she became this challenge for the guys, especially once she got into high school. She was younger than the guys in her class and they saw her as someone who could be manipulated into bed. That of course was quickly squashed when Bella would call bullshit on them or make them feel like crap because she was so much smarter than them and once they realized this they pretty much stopped talking to her. Bella has never been one to need that attention or even to seek it out, but it still had to hurt her when it was suddenly gone although she would never admit it."

"It got worse when she went to college because she became even more of a challenge for the guys there. Neither Bella nor Alice know this but I spent the two years we were in school together knocking the shit out of at least a dozen different guys who either made smart ass comments to me about her or who could not get it through their thick heads that she wasn't interested in them."

"That must be where you learned to throw such a strong punch." Edward said rubbing his jaw.

"Yeah I guess so." Jasper answered him with remorse in his voice.

"Did any of them hurt her; I mean did something bad happen to her in college?" Edward asked.

"No nothing like that. Bella was always really good at seeing through the crap and was able to keep her distance from it, but I could tell it still bothered her. I would catch her watching Alice and I together sometimes and I could see the sorrow in her eyes. Her mother was never with a man the whole time she was growing up and I think Bella began to assume she was destined to be the same way. I think for the most part she was ok with that idea because God only knows that girl is very independent and stubborn, but I can tell that it bothered her deep down."

"So she never had a boyfriend?" Edward asked.

"No not really. She dated a little but nothing ever serious."

"Is she…" Edward started to ask but thought better of it.

"A virgin?" Jasper finished for him.

"I shouldn't have asked that question, I'm sorry."

"It's ok. It's probably not my place to say but I know Bella would have no problems telling you about Mike so I guess I shouldn't either."

"Mike?" Edward asked hoping Jasper wouldn't leave it at that.

"Bella's last year at SCAD she became really good friends with this guy named Mike Newton. They grew really close quickly as Mike was not intimidated by Bella's brain nor did he seem to be after her for her beauty. He was a good guy and I could tell that he really cared a great deal for Bella and I knew she did for him as well. They never were physical though and it bothered Bella at first so she confronted him about it one day. He told her that he was very attracted to her but that he was also attracted to this guy Jared who was in one of their classes together. He was having a hard time dealing with the feelings he had for both of them and with the fact that if parents knew they would probably disown him. They had a long talk about everything and they both came to the decision that they should just sleep together. To see if that helped him any and well they did. Bella said it was a bit of a disaster, neither of them really enjoying it and that it was awkward as hell. She said afterwards they looked at each other and just busted out laughing and they both agreed to never try that again. Mike admitted his feelings to Jared the next day and they have been together ever since then."

"Wow." Was all Edward could say.

"Yeah I know, not really that fairytale first time you read about in stories. She told me she didn't regret it though. That given the option of some random guy or a guy that she cared about like she did Mike she was glad that it was the latter."

"How is it you know all of this?" Edward asked him with a grin.

"Let's just say neither my wife nor Bella feel the need to censure their topics around me. Bella knows that I love her like she was my sister and while it gives me the creeps to think about her in _those_ types of situations, I'm glad that she feels comfortable enough to talk to me like that. I was the only guy in her life until recently and I was more than happy to be there for her in whatever way she needed me to be. But now…" Jasper stopped.

"Now she has Charlie and Carlisle and Emmett and me." Edward finished for him.

"Yeah she does." Jasper answered him.

"Is that what bothered you so much about seeing me with her?"

"That's part of it." Jasper said with a sigh. "It's hard to let go of that protectiveness. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that Bella has found her father and that she has all of you in her life now…it's just…we almost lost her." He finished in a whisper.

Edward watched as Jasper lowered his head trying to hide the tears falling down his face.

"But we didn't." Edward said walking over to Jasper and putting his hand on his back in a comforting gesture.

"No we didn't thanks to you."

"It's thanks to all of us Jasper. She needs you just as much as she needs any of us."

"I'm scared." Jasper admitted. "This McGovern guy scares the hell out of me."

"Me too." Edward says with a sigh.

They were quiet again for a bit before Edward broke the silence once again.

"Are we good?" He asked.

"Yeah we're good." Jasper answered him. "I guess I don't need to do the whole if you hurt her speech now do I?"

"No need man. I won't hurt her, she means too much to me. I don't know how to explain it, but she's just…she's everything man."

"Yeah she is." Jasper said with the first real smile on his face in the past hour.

SSES

Hours later everyone was gathered in the living room of the Cullen house. Alice and Jasper had finished at Bella's apartment. And as Jasper had predicted, Alice laid into him when the origins of the bruise on Edward's face were revealed, but Bella and Edward both defended him which calmed her down a bit.

Esme had returned from work as had Carlisle, Emmett and Rose. Charlie had been with the three of them most of the day going over the new information that they had learned over the past twenty four hours. Carlisle was about to reveal this to the rest of the group when the front door burst open.

"Charles Swan." A feminine voice boomed out.

"Ma?" Charlie asked as he headed towards the door.

The rest of the group followed him to find a woman who stood about four foot eight standing in the foyer with a very determined look on her face. There was an agent behind her looking very frazzled.

"I'm sorry Deputy Director, I tried to get her to enter properly but she is…"

"A fireball." Charlie finished for him.

"Oh hush your mouth young man." The tiny woman glowered at Charlie.

"Yes ma'am." Charlie answered her quickly.

"It's ok Garrett." Carlisle answered him. He remembered just what a whirlwind Katie Swan could be. "Thank you for driving her here."

"Yes thank you." Charlie said as well. "Everyone this is my mother Katherine Swan. Ma this is…"

"Pleasantries and introductions later Charlie, where is my granddaughter." She asked looking around the room. When she spotted Bella her eyes began to fill with tears.

"She's just beautiful Charlie." She said as she rushed to Bella and pulled her into her arms.

"Hello Mrs. Swan." Bella answered her.

"Not a chance darling. Call me Katie or nana or granny whatever you want, just nothing that formal." Katie said as she pulled Bella out of her arms and took her face into her hands. "Such a beauty." She said again.

"How are you doing sweetheart? Is your dad taking good care of you?"

"Of course I am ma?" Charlie answered her gruffly.

"If he doesn't you let me know and I will put him in his place."

"I promise he is." Bella said with a grin on her face looking over at her dad. "They are all taking good care of me."

Katie looked around at the group that was standing there smiling at her in a bit of a daze.

"Oh where are my manners?" Katie said quickly. "I do apologize I just couldn't wait to see my grandbaby."

"It's no problem Mrs. Swan." Carlisle said walking over to her. "It's a pleasure to see you again ma'am."

"My goodness Carlisle Cullen you are more handsome now than I remembered. And you know better than calling me Mrs. Swan young man!" She fussed at him as she pulled him into a hug.

"And where is Esme?"

"I'm right here Mrs…I mean Katie."

"Such a beautiful woman you grew into." Katie says as she pulls Esme into a hug.

"Katie I would like you to meet my sons Edward and Emmett Cullen." Esme says as she points to her children.

"My goodness those are handsome boys. Of I always knew the two of you would have beautiful babies. Oh I would have spoiled you boys rotten had we not lost touch with each other." Katie says as she pulls each of the boys into hugs.

"Oh sweetie what happened to your beautiful face?" Katie asked Edward.

"Just a misunderstanding ma'am." Edward answered her, a bit shell shocked by Katie's presence.

"I hoped you kicked the other guy's ass!" Katie responded before kissing Edward's jaw.

"Ma!" Charlie said.

"Quiet Charles! Now who are these other beautiful people?" Katie asked looking at the others.

"This is Rose, Emmett's wife." Esme said pointing to Rose.

"What a perfect name." Katie said as she hugged Rose.

"And these are Bella's best friends, Alice and her husband Jasper Whitlock." Esme finishes.

"Such a lovely group of people." Katie said as she hugged both Alice and Jasper before going back over to Bella.

"Come dear; you can rest while you tell your grandmother all about your life up until now." She said as she put her arm around Bella and began to pull her into the living room to sit down. "Charlie take my bags to my room and there are three chocolate silk pies that need to go in the fridge." She called over her shoulder to Charlie.

"Chocolate Silk Pies." Carlisle and Emmett both said at the same time with huge smiles on their faces. Carlisle instantly remembered the delicate treat that were Katie's pies and Emmett just loved anything chocolate.

"Ma maybe you want to rest a bit from your trip first?" Charlie asked trying to save Bella from the whirlwind that was his mother.

"Please Charlie I am not so old and delicate that I need to rest after a few hours in the car. I play tennis three days a week and take kick boxing classes and could lay you flat with a round house kick. So watch your tone with me mister." Katie said while pointing her finger at Charlie.

"Holy shit granny Swan is bad ass." Emmett said.

"And don't you forget it young man." Katie said pointing at Emmett next.

"Yes ma'am!" Emmett said with a salute.

"Besides it's not like I did anything but shoot zombies on the way here." Katie said as she returned her attention to Bella.

"Wait…shoot zombies." Emmett asked.

"Yes, I found this new app the other day called Stupid Zombie and I have been playing ever since."

"What's it like?" Emmett asked like a child.

"It's like Angry Birds but you shoot a rifle instead of birds."

"You play Angry Birds?"

"Oh darling I mastered that game a few weeks ago. Those pig bastards are no match for my sling shot abilities." She said with a wink.

"Oh shit Bella I really like your granny!" Emmett said as she sat down beside her and Bella.

"I do too Em." Bella said as she took Katie's hand in to her own and nestled down beside her. "I do too."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**I know this chapter was kind of fluffy with only a little drama and that there are several unanswered questions like who is the person seen on the video and by Charlie at the hospital and just who was James calling. Those will all be answered in the next chapter. I just wanted to give these guys a little bit of a reprieve before the action started up again.**_

_**I have a rec for a great story that is just starting out and could use some attention. It's called Unexpected by RockRaven244. It's a Bella/Edward love story with a mafia twist which I know is done often but this one is very different and well worth the time to explore because the author has a talent for writing in a way that puts you into the story and makes everything believable.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I promise to do better in the future with posting on time. Let me know what ya think!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**I have to warn (not really more like mention) that there is no Edward or Bella in this chapter so no date yet. But there are questions answered, more asked and maybe even a WTF moment or two!**_

_**Sorry no Nana Swan either but I promise she will be back not only because she is kick ass but she seems to be really loved as well!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>_

"Thank you gentleman for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice." James said to the four men gathered around the table of the conference room in the warehouse.

"Will Paul be here soon?" One of the men asked.

"No Thomas, Paul will not be joining us today, his…_interests…_are otherwise occupied at this moment."

"What other interest does Paul have?" Thomas asked him. "Are we not here today to discuss the issues with the Scatori family?"

Thomas O'Malley, Malcolm Greene, Richard Hurley and Davidson Greer were all next level men in the McGovern family. They had been there to serve loyally with Finn during his time and had been there to help Paul if he needed it. Paul however had begun to slowly pull away from the men and they were more outsider's to his world now than they had been with his father.

James knew these would be the men who would help him the most.

"Yes we are here for that issue among others but there is something much more important that needs to be addressed first. I am not sure if you gentlemen heard about the shooting of a young woman a few weeks ago outside of a restaurant during the day here in DC?"

There were several murmurs of yes around the table.

"The young lady who was shot is named Isabella Cigno and she is the daughter of Renee Higgenbotham. I am not sure if you gentleman remember her or not, but she was Paul's girlfriend for several years before she disappeared entirely. Paul has become quite obsessed with the young girl and in fact it was two of Paul's men who attempted to abduct her and when she put up a fight one of the stupid fuckers shot her almost killing her."

There were gasps around the table. And the gentleman at the table began to lob questions at James.

"Is this young girl Paul's daughter?"

"Isn't Renee Michael Higgenbotham's daughter?"

"Did he mean to have her killed?"

"What the fuck is Paul thinking?"

"Yes Renee was Michael's daughter and he was the reason Renee was with him to begin with. He did not mean to have her killed, only taken but Demetri was too proud to let a tiny woman fight him. Isabella is not Paul's daughter; Renee was with another man after leaving Paul. He found her and had the man shot while on duty telling Renee that he would be killed if she didn't come back to him. That is when she disappeared altogether. And as to what Paul is thinking, I honestly do not know."

"On duty? Was the other man a cop?" Richard asked.

"He still is." James answered him.

"And what of Renee, where is she now?" Davidson asked.

"Paul killed her three weeks ago. He tried to scare her into giving Isabella over to him. The way Renee had done the same thing in order to save her father's life twenty some years ago. When Renee refused her killed her."

"What does he want with this Cigno woman?"

"He wants her for himself as his wife or mistress or what have you." James hesitated, knowing his next words would change everything. "Gentleman Paul is not well. I think he may have taken leave of his senses. His obsession with this girl has not diminished with the shooting despite the fact I have repeatedly told him that he needed to find another willing girl to take care of his needs. But he will not listen and something needs to be done in order to protect this family."

"What are you suggesting Paul?" Malcolm asked.

"I am suggesting gentleman that Paul needs to be removed from his place of power."

Once again the room was filled with gasps.

"Do you know what you are suggesting James, a coop if you will to remove Paul from his birthright."

"I know it is Paul's birthright to be head of this family, but let's face it gentleman, he has lost that right by being reckless. There is something else that you need to know gentleman. Waiting for Isabella outside of the restaurant were four other men, one of those men is a doctor, Edward Cullen and he was able to save her life that day. One of the men was her father, Charles Swan who is now a detective with the San Diego PD and the other two men, well the other two men are FBI and not just any FBI but none other than Carlisle and Emmett Cullen."

The gasps in the room where now grumbles of anger.

"The Deputy Director of the FBI Carlisle Cullen?" Thomas asked.

"Yes sir." James paused to let that sink in before continuing. "For thirty plus years, Finn McGovern was able to keep his dealings secret. He was able to fly well below the radar and no one was the wiser to just how powerful a man he was or what his dealings were. But that has all changed now and not only is Paul standing in the middle of a bull's eye with his actions, but he is drawing this family up there with him."

The room was silent for a moment as the revelations of James' words sunk in. Thomas was the one to finally break the silence.

"Finn never wanted this life for Paul, never trusted that his son was level headed enough to take over. As the oldest son, Peter was to be the one to take over and that was what Finn wanted. When Peter was killed, Finn took it very badly and in a way I think he had wished it was Paul who had died and not Peter though he would never admit it out loud."

"Thomas I loved Finn McGovern as if he were my own father." James began. "I promised him I would always do what I could to protect Paul and this family before he died, but I cannot do that anymore, because the sad truth is I need to protect this family from Paul. I had to choose which of the two Finn would have wanted me to save the most. This business, this life, this family is all I have ever known. It is all many of you have ever known. I do not want to see it destroyed by the crazy whims of its leader and I don't think you do either."

"No we do not." Richard said looking at the other men for shared acknowledgement.

"Are you suggesting you would kill him?" Davidson asked.

"No as much as I loathe what Paul is doing to this family, I do love him as a brother and could never personally bring him that kind of harm. I have other plans for Paul. Plans that will ensure the FBI go after him and him alone and leave the rest of the family be."

"Do you not think that Paul would talk to protect himself?"

"No he wouldn't, Paul is too arrogant. He would see the FBI coming after him in that way as a show of the power he has and would fight them to the end. He is so obsessed with this notion of being with Isabella that he will not stop until he either has her or…"

"Or Cullen has him killed." Thomas finished James' words. After he spoke them he looked to the other men once again for silent acknowledgement. The three other men nodded their heads yes.

"And what of the Scatori family? What are your plans for them?" Thomas asked. This question giving James the answer he needed to continue with his plans to remove Paul from his birthright.

"Actually the FBI is going to help me with them as well." James said with a sneer.

SSES

"Why are we following this guy again?" Agent Smith asked his partner.

"He's wanted for questioning in connection to the Cigno shooting. The Deputy Director wants him followed to see if he is contact with the McGovern guy that Cullen suspects is behind the shooting." Agent Jackson answered him.

"So we are just going to tag this guy until he meets the right person?" Smith asked.

"Yes Harrison we are. God were you not listening to Emmett at all?" His irritated partner asked.

"I tend to tune Emmett out. That dumb ass is only in his job because of his dad anyway." Smith scoffed.

"That _dumb ass_ as you called him finished top of his class both at Langley and at Harvard. You on the other hand barely passed high school. Anything he has accomplished he has done on his own. Besides you're just pissed Rosalie never went out with you before she married Cullen."

"I never asked her out." Smith grumbled.

"Bullshit man, everyone knows you all but begged her to go out with you and she rejected you every time and then all it took was one look from Cullen and she was a goner. Face it Harrison, a Cullen you are not." Jackson laughed.

"Fuck you." Smith grumbled again before something caught his eye. "Hey is he doing what I think he is doing?" Smith asked as he pulled the car over in front of a warehouse.

"Yes he is. I'm calling Cullen."

"_Agent Cullen."_ Emmett's voice answered.

"Hey Cullen your tag just pulled up in front of the warehouse on 28th street."

It was well known throughout the law enforcement community that this warehouse in particular was owned by Vincent and Marco Scatori.

"_I'll be there in ten. Stay on him."_ Emmett said before disconnecting the call.

Emmett arrived just as he stated and sat outside of the warehouse with the other two agents. Twenty minutes after Emmett arrived his person of interest came out of the warehouse's side door. Before he could make it back to his car across the street he was stopped by Agent's Jackson and Smith.

"Sir may we have a moment of your time?" Agent Jackson asked him as he held out his badge.

At the first sight of the badge the man took off running but was quickly tackled to the ground by Emmett who was standing by his car observing the situation.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going douche bag?" Emmett asked as he turned him around.

"Cullen? What the fuck! Get off of me." The man said as he began to struggle to get away from Emmett.

In his attempt to get the huge man off of him he neglected to remember the package that he had tucked into his waist band and it broke open exposing the reason he took off running when the agents first approached him.

"Well what do we have here?" Emmett asked as he touched the white powdery substance before taking a small taste and then spitting it out. "No wonder you ran dick head." He said as he picked the man up and spun him around to cuff him.

"It's…not…what you… you think." The man began to stammer.

"Oh that's an original one." Emmett chuckled to himself as he slapped cuffs onto the man's wrists. "Riley Biers you are under arrest for the possession of cocaine." Emmett said before he began to read Biers his Miranda Rights.

SSES

As James walked closer to Paul's office in the warehouse he could hear his screams of anger. He opened the door to find the office in shambles, papers and other items thrown everywhere. Paul was pacing back and forth in a maniac state his hands clutching his gun as they repeatedly banged against his head.

"Why are they fucking with me?" Paul kept repeating to himself.

"Paul what the fuck man?" James asked as he cautiously walked over to Paul trying to calm him down.

"They are keeping her from me." He said never once stopping his maniac actions and looking at James. "They have her there in that house, locked away from me. And now they won't even let her have my gifts." Paul ranted.

"What gifts Paul?" James asked with even more caution.

Paul didn't answer him, only taking one of the hands that were hitting his head and pointing to a desk in the corner where several gifts sat partially opened. James walked over to the desk to inspect the items. There were three distinctive blue boxes that held diamond necklaces and two other boxes with fur coats in them.

"Paul what the fuck did you do?" James asked.

"I am trying to woo Isabella you know giving her nice things that will make her fall in love with me. But she has never gotten them. They will not let her have them. The delivery guy said each package was inspected at the guard house before they were given back to him. He was told that they were not welcomed in that house and that they needed to be returned." Paul seethed. "Can you believe that shit? Can you believe they would keep her from me like that? I bet she doesn't even know. I bet they are keeping her in the dark. She is being held against her will in that house, I just know it."

"Paul not to sound like a dick or anything, but wasn't that your intention at first, to keep her against her will?"

Paul was in James' face in a second screaming at him.

"NO! SHE. WOULD. HAVE. LOVED. ME!" He yelled before sitting down at his desk. "I know she would have loved me no matter what and I am trying to do that. She is so different from the other girls. She is special so beautiful and innocent." Paul cooed as he began stroking a picture of Bella that sat on his desk. James had not seen this picture before and any doubt in his mind that Paul was coming unhinged was quickly dissolved.

"Has our guy at the hospital said anything more?" Paul finally asked James after several minutes of him being lost in his fantasy world but never taking his eyes off the picture.

"There isn't much to tell. Once they took her to the Cullen house no one at the hospital has seen her again. But…" James hesitated.

"But? What?" Paul asked looking at James finally.

"It's probably nothing really but he did say that Edward Cullen the doctor who saved her life seemed to be quite enamored with the beautiful Isabella and that he seemed to spend all of his spare time with her and that he hasn't been to his house since she left the hospital."

James watched as the possibility of his words crossed Paul's mind.

"That bastard is trying to take what is mine?" Paul raged before he jumped up from his seat and ran towards the door.

"Just as planned." James smirked to himself as he watched Paul run out of the office barking orders to some of his men.

SSES

Riley Biers had been detained by the FBI for two days now and he was going through serious drug withdrawals.

He was sitting in an integration room fidgeting and shaking while his lawyer, Victoria Brandywine tried to calm him down.

Carlisle, Emmett and Charlie came into the room. Each of the three men sat down across from the pair but did not look at them directly. Carlisle was in the middle and the men's attention seemed to be drawn to the folder that he was opening and carefully pulling items out of.

"My client has been in custody for two days without proper medical treatment." Victoria began.

None of the three men paid any attention to her words, their focus still on the items Carlisle was pulling out of the folder.

"Listen Mr. Cullen, I do not care if you are the Deputy Director of the FBI, my client has rights and they are clearly being violated at the moment." Victoria seethed. The raise in her voice caused Riley to jump in fear but did nothing to sway the three men from their current actions.

"Miss Brandywine you have no experience as criminal lawyer do you?" Carlisle finally spoke.

"No." She answered him a bit taken aback by his question. "But I don't see how that is relevant. I know the law and I know my client's right."

"In fact are you not the lawyer who is currently handling the settlement of Nicollet Bowden's estate?"

Victoria sat there for a moment stunned by his words.

"Yes." Victoria answered him in a shaky voice.

"Do you know who Nicollet Bowden is Mr. Biers?" Carlisle asked him.

Riley was lost in his own world, shaking and cold.

"Mr. Biers!" Carlisle said while slamming his fist down on the desk top. The loud noise caused both Victoria and Riley to jump in their seats.

"Yes?" Riley answered him.

"Do you know who Nicollet Bowden is?" Carlisle asked again, his voice rising even more.

"She…she…was a patient of mine."

"A patient of yours who died on your table if I am not mistaken." Carlisle stated.

"Don't answer that." Victoria interjected.

"Tell me Miss Brandywine, can you explain all of the withdrawals that have been made from Mrs. Bowden's accounts?" Carlisle asked as he pulled out several sheets of paper.

"Of course I can. I have receipts of all of the items I have been paying off until the estate is settled. But I don't see…"

"It's a rather large estate is it not?" Carlisle asked interrupting her.

"Yes but I…"

"Twenty eight million dollars if I am not mistaken."

"Yes but…"

"And there are no heirs are there?"

"No everything…."

"Everything was set to be donated to several different charities correct?"

"Correct."

"So no one would really notice if you maybe took a little off the top for yourself?" Emmett asked with a wink.

"I have no idea what you are implying Agent but I would never…"

"Of course you wouldn't Miss Brandywine." Carlisle interrupted her. "Tell me then about the payments made to Janet Anderson's checking account."

Victoria froze for a moment before she spoke.

"I couldn't be sure without looking at my notes."

"There are payments that total eighty thousand dollars Miss Brandywine, surely that would ring a bell."

"I couldn't be sure without looking at my notes." Victoria stated again quietly.

"Mr. Biers isn't your mother named Janet Anderson?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes." Riley answered while looking at Victoria whose head was now lowered into her hands.

"And since your step-father passed you have been taking care of her accounts and paying all of the bills for the nursing home that she is currently residing in correct?"

"Yes." Riley quietly answered.

"Tell me Miss Brandywine with all of your legal knowledge how long do you get for embezzelment?"

"I'm not saying another word until my lawyer gets here." She said without raising her head from her hands.

"I figured you might say that." Carlisle said as he pointed his head to the mirror. Moments later a female agent came in and escorted Victoria away.

"It looks as if you need new legal counsel Mr. Biers."

"Whatever you want I'll tell you." Riley stated.

"I was hoping you would say that." Carlisle said as he pulled out the image from the hospital cameras of Riley talking with James. "What can you tell us about this man?"

Riley picked up the photo and stared at it with a blank expression before putting it back on the table.

"Was he a patient of mine?" Riley asked hoping that would appease the three men.

"Do you really want to play this game with me?" Carlisle asked his temper beginning to rise.

"I don't know what you mean?" Riley asked.

"What do you know about Paul McGovern?"

"Who?"

"The man who you were buying cocaine from."

"That's not his name."

"Then please enlighten us as to what his name is."

"If I do that he will kill me."

"I thought you said you wanted to help, how is this helping?"

"I told you I don't know who you are talking about, that isn't my guy."

"Last chance asshole!" Emmett seethed. "What do you know about Paul McGovern?"

"I swear to you I don't know anything about him."

"Then why the hell are you talking with his right hand man and why were you still lurking around Bella's room even after she dismissed you as her doctor?" Emmett said as he slapped the photo with his hand.

"Listen man I don't know who the hell this guy is. He came up to me one day when I was out taking a smoke and started asking me questions about someone."

"I don't have time for your shit Riley, tell me who the fuck he was asking about. It was Bella Cigno wasn't?" Carlisle roared.

"No it wasn't her"

"Then what were you doing outside of her room." Charlie asked, the anger clearly growing in his eyes.

"I…I just...fuck. Listen man women don't reject me, ever. I knew if I could just get her alone for a moment without the influence of anyone else, she would agree to go out with me, you know that whole hero worship thing. She's just really hot and very...well you know...fuckable and I wasn't about to pass that up, but there was always someone around her and I never got the chance to try and tap that."

Just as the words were out of Riley's mouth, Charlie was across the table punching him in the jaw.

"You held my daughter's heart in your hand while you were high as a fucking kite you narcissistic prick. She could have died because of your habit." Charlie said before punching him again. "And then you thought she would worship you enough to fuck you afterwards?" Charlie continued to pound of Riley until Emmett finally pulled him off of him.

"Charlie man that's enough." Emmett said trying to calm him down. "Come on let's go get some air."

Emmett managed to get Charlie out of the room while Carlisle sat there and waited for Riley to gather himself back in his chair.

"If he wasn't asking about Bella, then just who was he asking about?"

Riley sat there quietly for a moment before looking up at Carlisle.

"He was asking about Edward."

SSES

"Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to see me." James said as he directed the tall man to a chair.

"What…what did you need?"

"I need something else from you."

"I already told you and Paul man, now that Bella is out of the hospital I cannot get near her to tell you anything."

"I'm well aware of that." James answered him. "And personally I could give a fuck about her, but since Paul will not seem to let this go I need your help with something else."

"W…What?" The man asked.

"I need you to turn yourself in too…." James began to say.

"What?" The man asked jumping up from his chair.

"I suggest you sit your ass down now fucker!" James yelled as he pulled out his gun and pointed it at the man's head. "I will not be questioned like that again."

"I'm….I'm sorry."

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I need you to turn yourself into the FBI, Deputy Director Cullen to be precise. I need you to tell them that you have been working for Paul these past few years, giving him information about doctors and patients at the hospital and that recently you were informing him on all things Isabella Cigno."

"Paul will kill me if I do that."

"Trust me buddy, Paul is the very last person you need to worry about right now. See either you do this yourself, or I let it...say...accidently slip...that you have been informing Paul about our dear sweet lovely Isabella and then you will have an even bigger shit storm brewing under your feet."

"I'll go to jail."

"More than likely." James said without hesitation. "But it's up to you as to how long. See you can go to them and give them information on Paul that they are dying to have and plea bargain your way out of too much time, or you can risk them finding out on their own and well you can only imagine the wrath of the Cullen family."

"What...what am I going to tell them?"

"Exactly what I want you to tell them, enough to get Paul out of the way, but not enough to bring the FBI sniffing around my door once he is gone."

"O...ok." The man stammered.

"Wonderful!" James said clapping his hands together with an evil grin as he stood up from the desk. "Now why don't you call your buddy Edward and ask him if he can arrange a meeting with dear ole dad!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**_

_**Confused? Asking yourself WTF? If Riley is in jail then who the hell was James talking too? Is Edward in danger now? Just what the hell is James up too?**_

_**So many questions with so many answers to come.**_

_**Next chapter will be the date and more! **_

_**Let me know what you think and much love to you all! **_


	9. Chapter 9

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**Sorry for the delay. Fourth of July holiday messed up my schedule. For those of you in the States or abroad who celebrate hope you had a great day and got to see some fireworks. I promise I am not going to be one of those who updates whenever. I will be better with this and get back into my old habits of being on time.**_

_**This chapter parallels the previous chapter in that it follows the same time line. There will be a few instances where the two will overlap but not in a repeating way but more in the way of seeing the flip side of things.**_

_**Hope you all enjoy.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

"So I walk in the door and I am instantly assaulted with the smell of burning plastic." Katie says, her hands flying through the air animatedly as she tells her story. "I go to the kitchen and there stands Garrett and Charlie trying to put out a fire in the trash can. The counter is covered in flour, eggs are dripping down to the floor and poor Charlie has melted chocolate all over his face."

"Ma it really wasn't that bad." Charlie said with a gruff voice as he looked over at his mother and daughter who were standing in the kitchen laughing at Katie's story.

The three of them had spent the past couple of days together as a family and Charlie couldn't help but smile to himself at the joy he felt in that moment despite his mother's many stories.

"Bullshit Charlie, it was much worse than that." Katie answered him through her laughter.

"So what were they doing?" Bella asked.

"I had gone out of town for the weekend to visit my sister Tanya. Garrett and Tanya never really got along that well so I would always go and see her by myself. I usually took Charlie with me but he had just turned fourteen and he wanted to stay at home and hang out with his friends. Garrett invited his poker group over to play at the house. Now his poker group consisted of six other fishermen who all had an appetite for beer and food. I had made several dishes and frozen them for the boys so all they had to do was warm them up in the oven. Well his buddies tore through all the food in the house in about two hours and were still hunger. The only thing left in the house were three of my chocolate silk pies that I had baked and frozen to take to the annual fund raiser for the Fisherman's Memorial Fund which was being held the Sunday night that I was to return. Garrett didn't realize what they had done until it was too late. He knew I would be pissed at him so he and Charlie decided to try their hands at making more pies in hopes that I would never be the wiser. Those boys could throw 200 pound pots like it was nothing but they could not for the life of them read a simple recipe and make a pie. They tried to melt chocolate over the stove and it burned the pan up so they threw the pan into the trash just as hot as the devils fingernails and it caught the bag and plastic egg carton on fire."

Katie paused a moment as she tried to catch her breath from laughing and telling the story.

"I tell ya darling I stood there for a moment in shock before I walked over and knocked the shit out of Garrett for making a mess of my kitchen. I told him he had an hour to clean up his mess and figure out a way to get back into my good graces again. I had to turn around and walk out of the kitchen quickly so I wouldn't bust out laughing in front of them at the predicament they had gotten themselves into. I could hear him cussing a blue streak as he and Charlie cleaned the kitchen and I sat out of the front porch in our swing. I swear that man spent the next week trying to sweet talk me and sex me up just to make up for the mess."

"Ma!" Charlie called out clearly embarrassed at the thought of his parents having sex.

"Oh shut it son. Your father and I had a very healthy sex life and that week, well let's just say it was even better. He let me do this thing to him that week that I swear had my toes curling for a month."

"Oh my God MA!" Charlie huffed as he put his hands over his ears. "Mental image killing me! Years of torture. Still think I need therapy for all of those years of that shit." He shuddered as he stood up from the chair he was sitting on and quickly left the kitchen.

"Spoil sport!" Katie muttered under her breath as she turned back to look at her granddaughter who was stirring a bowl of melting chocolate over a double boiler.

"Charlie always seemed to have a hard time with the PDA's his dad and I loved to share. I swear that man could make me forget my name sometimes with just a touch of his hands and oh my child what he could do with his..."

"MA!" Charlie yelled from the other room. "Not my daughter too!"

"Baby!" Katie yelled back at him. She couldn't help the smile though at Charlie's words of _my daughter_.

Bella couldn't help her smile either.

"Nana can I ask your opinion on something?"

"Of course you can sweet girl." Katie said as she rolled out her pie dough.

"Well I was thinking about asking dad if he would...well if he would consider adding his name to my birth certificate." Bella's voice trailed off into a whisper as she finished her sentence.

"Oh sweet girl." Katie said as she pulled Bella into her arms.

Bella could feel the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "I know it's just a piece of paper but all this time, for all of those years when mom would take me to enroll me in to a new school and I would make sure she had all of the documents that were needed...seeing the father line of my birth certificate left blank...it just... it hurt. I always wanted a name there, wanted his name there after I figured out he was my dad and well now..."

"Baby girl your dad will be the happiest man on earth when you ask him to do that."

"Yeah?"

"Of course he will be Bella. He is so proud to be your father. He loves you sweet girl and so do I." Katie said as she kissed Bella's cheek before going back to her pie crust.

"I love you to Nana!" Bella said with a smile before going back to her chocolate.

SSES

The smile on Charlie's face could have lit up the entire country when he heard Bella's words. He had not meant to eavesdrop on their conversation but he wanted to make sure his mother did not say anything more about his dad that would make Bella uncomfortable.

When the women in his life focused back on the baking they were doing in the kitchen, Charlie walked back into his room and pulled out one of the journals that Renee had given him. He turned to a familiar passage that he could recite by heart now and allowed the joy it brought him to engulf him.

_September 14__th__ 1990_

_Dear Charlie,_

_Our baby girl was born yesterday Charlie. She is the most beautiful child I have ever seen. I know you would think so if you could be here with us. Oh how I wish you could be here with us. As the nurse was holding my hand and encouraging me to push I kept imagining that it was your hand I was holding, that you were the one whispering words of encouragement in my ear. It seemed to take forever for her to finally make her entrance into this world but when she did, my God Charlie it was like everything stopped and there was no one else in that room but our daughter and me. They placed her onto my chest and everything just fell into place. All of the crap in my life up until this point was gone. It was just she and I and it was almost perfect. I watched her little body wither around as they worked to clean her up a bit; her little cries letting them know that she was not happy at all. As soon as I spoke to her, called out her name her cries quieted and she opened her eyes and looked at me Charlie. I know she wasn't really looking at me she was only going in the direction of my voice but it was still me that she sought out. I felt you with us at that moment Charlie. With that simple look in my direction from our daughter I felt you with us. All of the love that we had was there right in front of me and it was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. _

_I know I can never make up to you the loss of being there when your daughter was born, but in my heart of hearts Charlie I know a little part of you was there and it helped me to bring our baby girl into the world. Thank you for that my love. Thank you for being there for us both._

_We love you Charlie,_

_Renee and Isabella Marie_

The first time he had read her words he was so angry. Angry at her for denying him the chance to be there, angry at Paul for taking his world away from him without even knowing it and angry at himself for not doing more to be there for Renee. After the anger washed away from him he went back and read the entry again and he found himself crying as he imagined the scene that Renee described. The more he read the words over and over again the more he felt the truth of those words. A part of him was there that day. The love that he and Renee had shared was there in the tiny angel that lay on Renee's chest. Isabella and he were a part of each other and that part was what Renee felt that day.

"She wants my name on her birth certificate now baby." He spoke to Renee's memory. "Our baby girl wants to show the world I am her daddy. She is so amazing Renee. Everything about her is just perfect. She's just so...God...my chest hurts sometimes with the love I feel for her. I can only imagine that is what you felt that day Renee, that overwhelming sense of love." Charlie paused for a moment as he rubbed his chest where the ache of his love for his daughter burned.

"Thank you for giving me the love of our lives Renee. I promise I will cherish her forever and keep her safe. He won't hurt her again Renee. I promise you that baby; he will never hurt our baby girl again."

The ring of his phone broke the silence in the room and after wiping the tears off his face and clearing his throat he answered his phone.

"Charlie Swan."

"_Charlie its Emmett. We have Riley Biers."_

"I'm leaving now." Charlie said as he stood up from his bed, grabbed his keys and headed for the kitchen to tell Bella and Katie that he had to go out.

SSES

"Fuck!" Edward screamed as he punched the large bag in front of him. He had been working with the punching bag for the past hour hoping to work out his anger and frustration, however it was not helping.

"What crawled up your ass?" Emmett chuckled from the workout room door.

"Don't start with me Em!" Edward stated.

"Seriously big brother, talk to me." Emmett said walking into the room and sitting on a weight bench beside the bag.

Edward grabbed a towel and his water bottle and drenched his face with the cold liquid before he sucked the remaining amount into his mouth.

"When I got home from my shift Simmons told me that another gift had been delivered for Bella." Edward's voice grew quiet as he wiped the water and sweat off of his face. "That's five now Em. Five gifts that stupid fucker has tried to send to her."

"Fuck!" Was Emmett's whispered reply.

"Exactly." Edward said with a small chuckle.

"Does she know?"

"I don't think she knows about the one today yet, but she does about the others. When I came home she was in the kitchen with Katie making pies and she looked...really happy so I am guessing not yet."

"She was making pie?" Emmett said picking up his head with a gleam in his eye.

"Oh my God Emmett you are such a kid sometimes." Edward said laughing in earnest at his younger brother.

"Part of my charm my brother, part of my charm!" Emmett said with a grin and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"So when is the big date?"

"Tomorrow night." Edward answered him.

"You nervous?"

"Honestly? I'm scared shitless." Edward answered him.

"Why?"

"I just want to make her smile, I want to make her forget that there is some crazy fucker out there stalker her, the same crazy fucker that killed her mother, I just want to make things better for her and...well...I'm scared I can't do that. I wish I could take her out properly. That I could take her to a great restaurant and then to some place that she could be in her element, like the National Gallery of Art or the History Museum. I want our first date to be special, something for both of us to remember, not just dinner at my parents' house. I should have waited until she was better, until she had her strength back more and could do more."

"That's bullshit and you know it man." Emmett said. "You asked her out on a date because it felt right and life is too damn short to not grab those moments. You don't have to give her the moon on your first date to make it special. Bella is not that kind of woman. And it will not just be dinner at your parent's house. Have dinner outside by the pool, set up a movie on the back lawn or just take a walk around mom's gardens. It will be special because it will be the two of you, spending time together and getting to know one another more. When she is feeling better you can take her and do all of those things you want to do, but for now make it special yourself. Do something that will be all about her, show her that you listen to her when you guys are talking and _that_ my ignorant big brother is what will make your first date special."

Edward sat there for a moment staring at the smug look on his brother's face before he got up and walked over to the window and began to look out at as if he was searching for something.

"What the hell are you looking for Edward?"

"I was looking to see if the world was indeed coming to an end since I was getting really good romantic advice from Emmett Cullen." He said as he continued to search out the window.

"Ah fuck off asshole!" Emmett mumbled as he threw a towel at Edward, hitting him in the head with it. "Rosie rubbed off on me I guess." Emmett said shrugging his shoulders.

"Thanks Em! I guess I just needed a little help pulling my head out of my ass."

"Anytime Edward, anytime!" Emmett said with a smile. He looked at Edward for a moment before the smile on his face fell.

"Listen man, I have something to tell you that you probably will not like to hear but you need to know."

"What?" Edward asked.

"We arrested Riley Biers a few hours ago."

"For what?"

"Possession of drugs."

"What!"

"He had two kilos of cocaine on him and well...his blood tested positive for it as well."

"He's a coke head? Wait does that mean...are you fucking kidding me. That son of a bitch was probably coked out when he operated on Bella?"

"Chances are pretty good he was."

"FUCK Emmett! Do you know what could have happen, all of the things that could have gone wrong? How did I not see it? How...how has he been able to cover it up all of this time?" Edward said as he walked over to the bag and punched it harder than he had ever before.

"Damn it Edward stop it. You are going to break you hand and what the fuck will that accomplish? I already had to stop Charlie from going into his processing cell and killing him before we could even talk to him. I don't want to have to do it to you too. We won't know for another twenty four hours as to how long he has been using and even if it has been for a long period of time he was doing a great job of covering it up. No one that we have talked to at the hospital suspected him of using; they all just thought he was a major asshole."

"Drug use had nothing to do with him being an asshole." Edward huffed.

"I know man trust me I know. Look Edward you cannot sit around and dwell on the what ifs. Bella is going to be ok and that is all that matters."

"I know." Edward said with a defeated sigh. "Doesn't mean Biers doesn't deserve to have his ass handed to him on a fucking platter though."

"Oh trust me brother, I want to bury his sorry ass, and we will. We just have to get some information out of him first."

"Has he said anything yet? Was he working for McGovern? Did he get the drugs from him?"

"We don't know yet. Dad wants to make him suffer for a few days. Let him detox a bit from withdrawals, before we question him. You know just a little _torture_ if you will." Emmett said with a grin.

"I knew I loved dad for a reason!" Edward said with a chuckle.

"He is a force to be reckoned with." Emmett chuckled as well.

They were quiet for a moment before Edward turned back to the door to head to the shower. Before walking out of the room he turned back to look at his brother.

"You know Riley once told a group of us that he hated opera. In fact he said he detested it with a passion. What a torturous pity it would be to have a little bit of culture introduced to the other inmates in his cell block at the same time his level of irritability was enhanced by detox. Huh?" Edward mused before turning and walking out of the door.

"Like father like son!" Emmett said with a chuckle as he pulled out his phone and began to dial his father.

SSES

After the initial anger wore off about the news on Riley Bier's arrest, Edward spent the rest of his day and night thinking of what he could do to make his date with Bella very special. That night as the two families gathered for dinner and then casual talk afterwards, Edward watched and listened to Bella as if she were the only person in the room. It made him happy to give her all of his attention and as he lay in bed that night going over his plans again in his head, he knew without a doubt in his mind that he wanted nothing more than to have many more nights like this one where he could give all of himself to Bella.

He woke up the next morning with a determined sense about him. He had enlisted the help of Alice in keeping Bella busy so that he would be able to complete his tasks.

A little before five pm he found himself in the kitchen fighting with his third batch of Hollandaise sauce trying to keep it from breaking apart.

"Motherfuck son of a bitch!" He huffed as he watched the buttery mixture separate once again.

"Oh darling what are you doing?" Katie asked him as she walked into the mess in the kitchen.

"Trying to make Hollandaise sauce." He huffed again before looking up at Katie. "Sorry about the language."

"Oh my beautiful boy don't you worry yourself with that. I have spent my life around fishermen whose language is as salty as the water they fish. All you need to do is throw in a little cocksucker and horseshit and I will feel like I am back at home. Just don't use the word cunt. I despise that word and will beat your ass if you use it especially towards my granddaughter."

"Katie I would never use..." Edward started stunned by her words.

"I know you wouldn't handsome, but I had to get that out of the way. You know protective granny and all that shit. So tell me what's happening with this sauce and we will see what we can do to fix it for you."

And with those words Katie turned back to the bowl on the stove and showed Edward the proper way to make Hollandaise sauce.

SSES

At 7:00 pm that evening there was a knock on Bella's door. She couldn't help but laugh to herself at Edward's insistence on the formality of him picking her up at her place, even when that meant one of the bedrooms in the house that he had grown up in.

Bella took a deep breath before she opened the door to see Edward's shy and nervous smile.

"Hey." She said as she looked into his eyes.

"Hey." He responded.

They stood there for a minute just smiling at each other until Bella began to giggle. Edward couldn't help himself and soon he was following shortly after her.

"Nervous?" Bella asked Edward when their laughter died down a bit.

"A little. You?"

"A little." She answered him.

"Well now that that is out of the way, are you ready to go?" Edward asked as he held his hand out for Bella to take.

"I am." She answered him, her smiling face calm and serene now.

"Your beauty stuns me Bella." Edward said as he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently. His warm green eyes moved slowly over her taking in the beauty of the summer dress that she had on. It was deep green in color with a flowing waist that seemed to move gently in time with every step that she took. The dress' collar was high as Bella did not want to reveal the scar on her chest. She was not embarrassed by it and Edward had seen it on many occasions, but she wanted this night to be about them and nothing else and she didn't want that to become the elephant in the room that neither of them talked about.

"You look very handsome yourself." Bella answered him as she took in his dark blue dress pants and crisp white dress shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he looked sexy in a casual dressy way. Bella loved the way his tanned toned chest shadowed through the white shirt and she couldn't help but think of what lay beneath the fabric.

"So where are you taking me tonight?" she asked him finally trying to bring herself out of a lusty haze.

"I thought we could have dinner in the gazebo that is in one of the gardens. Honeysuckles are in full bloom right now and I thought it would be nice to get you out of the house and surrounded by fragrance."

"That sounds lovely Edward. Thank you." Bella took the arm that Edward had extended to her as he led them out of the back of the house to one of the three different gardens that Esme had on the large piece of land the Cullens built their home on.

"Why is the house so quiet?" Bella asked as they made their way to the back patio door.

"Everybody went out for the evening to...um...give us a little privacy."

As they walked to the gazebo, Edward pointed out different items in the garden and Bella drank it all in. Being early June, the sun was just starting it's decent into the night and Edward knew that by the time they were ready to eat dessert they would be treated to the glory of the colors of a setting sun.

"It's so beautiful out here." Bella said as Edward pushed her chair in for her. He leaned down and kissed her gently on her bare shoulder before taking his own seat.

"You really grew up here?"

"We did. Mom has added a lot out here over the years, even more so since Emmett and I moved out on our own."

"It must have been amazing to be here your whole life." Bella said as she looked around and took in the scene around her wishing she had her camera with her.

Edward watched Bella as she drank in her surroundings thinking about how hard it must have been on her to never have one place to call home for very long.

"Was it hard moving around all the time?" Edward asked his curiosity getting the better of him.

"It had its moments." Bella answered. She looked out at the small pond that sat just behind the gazebo watching a small Crane as it dipped its head into the water looking for its own dinner.

"Bella I'm..."

"No please don't apologize." Bella said to Edward. "It really wasn't that bad. Mom always made an adventure out of it. Before we would move we would pick a place out on the map. They were always sea side towns, always small and always with a great deal of history or charm. We would go to the local library of the town we were leaving and we would research the place we were going to. I think my need to learn everything I can came from those research parties that we would have. I can't look back on those times and feel bad about them. There are other people, military kids, diplomats and the like that move constantly and they somehow make do and that's what I did. Mom always made sure to include me in her searches for new places to live and she always made sure I was adjusting well. I know mom loved me very much, I never doubted it once. I just...I guess one of my only regrets is not having dad in my life before now. Not just for me but for mom as well. She loved him very much, never stopped loving him. I don't think he ever stopped loving her either."

Bella sat there for a moment just looking at the concern on Edward's face before she leaned over the small table and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Thank you for letting me reflect for a moment." She said before sitting back down in her chair. "Sometimes I just need to say out loud what I am thinking about."

"Anytime my sweet girl." Edward said with a smile.

"Now enough about me for a while. Tell me what it was like growing up in this backyard."

Edward shared little stories from his childhood with Bella as he served her a small Greek salad. By the time he finished with the story of Emmett getting his head stuck in the tire swing when he was showing off for some of his friends Bella was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.

When they were finished with salads, Edward served the main course of herb crusted salmon with creamy lentils and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce drizzled over it as Bella told him how she got interested in scuba diving.

"Oh my goodness Edward this is just divine." She told him as she took a bite of the salmon. "I didn't know you could cook like this."

"I can do a little, but...I...well I had a little bit of help from Katie." He said with a shy smile.

"Nothing wrong with that. We all need a little help sometimes." She returned his smile as she took another bite from her plate. "Umm" She hummed.

"What do you think about when you are in the water?" Edward asked trying to get the not so pure thoughts out of his head.

"Everything else just fades away and I get caught up in the water. The way it feels against my skin, even when I am wearing a full body suit. The shimmer of sunlight that floats all around you, the way you feel weightless and free. I always give myself about five minutes to just take it all in, to let the water consume me. Once I have that feel I set about my task. I seek out the subject matter of my assignment while also allowing myself the ability to get off focus and admire what is around me. The colors are so amazingly vibrant down there that it takes my breath away sometimes. And the inhabitants down there, oh my goodness they just surround you. They are often just as curious about you as you are about them. They come up to me, nibble on my hand to see if I taste good and then go back to their daily lives as if I am not there."

As Bella spoke, Edward found himself lost in the passion in her eyes and the beauty of her words. He found himself relating to the way she talked about being consumed by the water and all of the beauty and wonder around her when she was down there for as she spoke he became consumed by her.

"Do you ever get scared when you are down there?" He asked as she finished speaking.

"There have been a few moments. Having a great white circle around you even though you are in a steel cage is very intimidating. They are just so menacing looking and so very powerful in the way they glide through the water. I know they don't really want to eat me but it is still a powerful feeling watching them check you out so to speak. I guess other times I am more in awe then fear. Being in the water close to a blue whale is just...well there are really no words to describe it. Here is this creature that is bigger than some of the tallest skyscrapers yet it moves with this elegant grace and poise. You know from the sheer size of it alone that it could easily crush you with its fins or its tail but it is so gentle in the way that it moves about its life in the water. It's just...it makes you realize there is so much more to life than what you know back on land and it really grounds you, makes you enjoy the beauty of all life, appreciate life really."

Edward stood as Bella finished her story and he gently pulled her up into his arms. He slid his hands up so that they cradled her face, just staring into her eyes for a moment before he pulled her to meet his lips. The kiss was soft at first but soon he nudged his tongue along her lower lip seeking entrance. With a slight moan she opened her mouth to him and the kissed deepened with a lover's slow dance. Neither of them sought out dominance over the other, they were equals in their caress. Slow sensual movements, little moans of pleasure as they melted into one another.

"My God Bella you are the most passionate person I have ever meet in my life." Edward said as they broke away for air. "Just watching you, the expressions on your face, the sound of your voice as you speak, I could feel it, feel the passion coming off of you in waves. It was like a drug, a drug that swept over me and just moved me to my feet, moved me to take you in my arms."

"I can feel it too Edward." Bella said as she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. "In the way that you kissed me, I can feel it too."

They stood there holding each other as the sun began to fade away in the horizon, lost in the colors of the sky and the feel of the arms around the other.

When the twilight began to fade and the blue of the sky gave way to black, they pulled back from one another just looking into the other's eyes. Edward leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before taking her hand.

"Come my beauty, let's take our dessert and head back to the house. I have one more thing planned for the evening."

"What about all of this other stuff?"

"Let's just say a certain nana told me if I interrupted our evening by trying to clean anything up she would gut me like a fish and use my insides as bait."

"Holy goodnight, she didn't, did she?" Bella asked while shaking her head.

"She did indeed. She's kind of scary for someone so tiny." Edward said with a laugh as he grabbed the cooler with dessert in it with his free hand and led the way.

They made their way down the path back to the house. Lighting bugs briefly illuminating along their journey. Once they were in the house they made their way down to the bottom floor of the house. There were three rooms down there, the workout room, a wine cellar and a media room.

Edward walked Bella over to one of the plush oversized couches in the room and asked her to have a seat and wait for him. He unpacked the cooler, handing her a ramekin filled with Crème Brule and fresh berries.

"Nana?" She asked him as she took the creamy treat into her hands.

"She insisted upon it." He answered her with a smile before taking his own and sitting down next to her.

"So I would have really loved to have taken you out to the different museums in the area and I promise you that once you feel well enough to do so we will. But for now I brought a little bit of one of the museums here to you."

Edward picked up the huge remote that lay beside the couch on a table and first dimmed the lights in the room before pressing another button. A curtain slowly began to open up along the wall to reveal a large screen.

"It's like being at a movie theater." Bella said as she snuggled in beside Edward.

"All dad's idea. I think this is still his favorite room in the house."

Edward hit play and soft music began to filter into the room just as the screen before them lit up to reveal a menu of choices.

"Edward, how did you?" Bella asked him as she looked in awe at the selection before them on the screen.

"Mom is on one of the committees at the Smithsonian. She helped me pull a view strings and got a copy of the films and other things they use for their Ocean Portal exhibit and put it all together for me on a DVD. I thought maybe you would enjoy it."

"Oh Edward this is perfect. Thank you so much for this, for that wonderful dinner, for everything. This evening has been just perfect.

Bella put her dessert bowl on the table behind them before taking Edward's as well. Once the treats were safely put away she placed her hands on Edwards face and just looked into his eyes.

"Best first date ever." She whispered before leaning in and gently kissing his lips. "Thank you." She said before she cuddled into his side.

They spent the rest of their evening watching different videos about ocean life. They were half way through their fourth film when Edward noticed Bella's gentle pattern of breathing that she had fallen into signaling she was asleep.

"Oh my sweet girl." He whispered as he kissed the top of her head before moving their bodies ever so gently so that they were lying down side by side on the huge couch.

"Best first date ever." He whispered before kissing her again and closing his own eyes and drifting off to a peaceful sleep.

SSES

"Charlie, are you ok?" Carlisle asked him as he walked out of the room having finished up for now with Riley Biers.

"Yeah I guess. Sorry about losing my temper in there."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I only wish I could have cold cocked the prick."

"Did he give you anything at all?" Emmett asked.

"He did, but not really what we wanted." Carlisle sighed heavily.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

"He claims to have never met Paul McGovern and I can't help but believe him. He was getting his drugs from the Scatori brother's and the information he gave us there will go a long way to help us shut that family down."

"But what about the picture of him and James at the hospital?" Emmett asked.

"He said he had never met James before that day and that he never told him his name or who he worked for.. He was just asking him some questions about..." Carlisle paused for a moment his fists clenching at his sides.

"About what dad?"

"He was asking about Edward?"

"WHAT!" Emmett roared. "Do you think that son of a bitch is going to go after Edward now?"

"I don't know son." Carlisle answered him. He was about to say something else when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket to see Edward's name on the screen.

"Edward son is everything alright?" Carlisle asked worriedly not even bothering to say hello.

"_Everything is ok dad. But I...well I just got a really weird phone call from Jacob Black. He wants to meet with you. He said he has some information for you about Paul McGovern."_

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><p><em><strong>AN**_

_**I know, I know. It is very clichéd to have Jacob be the bad guy in some way. I really debated with myself on this one and went back and forth between it being Jacob or Sam but in the end Jacob won (or maybe lost) out. For some reason I just couldn't do that to Sam. Please forgive me!**_

_**Hope you enjoyed the date and a little more Nana Swan. Let me know what you think and thank you to you all! **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**I am making a slight adjustment to my posting date for this story and will be posting on Wednesdays now instead of Mondays. It just works out better this way and will hopefully help prevent further delays in the story. **_

_**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews and for reading this story. It reached 100 reviews with the last chapter and I think that is the fastest one of my stories has ever gotten to that first magical three figure number. **_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

"Thank you for coming in today Jacob." Carlisle said as he sat down across from Jacob in one of the FBI integration rooms.

"No...no problem Mr. Cullen. Thank you for meeting with me." Jacob nervously answered him.

When he first spoke to Edward about meeting with his father he had imagined that he would meet him at his house or at a restaurant somewhere. He was not anticipating the current location he was in.

Carlisle had counted on that.

"I hope that this location does not intimidate you. Things have been very busy of late with our investigation into the Scatori brother's drug empire and it has made it very difficult for me to leave the office. That being said I would have preferred to have this meeting in my own office, but as fate would have it today is the day that they upgrade the computer system in there and well who wants to be around a bunch of IT geeks all day long." Carlisle says with a smirk as he slyly diverts his eyes to the window in the room knowing that Rosalie, Emmett and Charlie on the other side.

"Smart ass!" Rosalie chuckles to herself as she readies her computer to research any of the information that Jacob is about to give them.

"Scatori Brother's?" Jacob asks trying to be coy.

"Yeah I'm sure you have heard about them in the news, major crime family into drugs, weapons and human trafficking. Nasty group really and we are about to bring them down." Carlisle answered him in a nonchalant voice. "Anyway, I believe there is something that you wanted to discuss with me?"

"Yes Mr. Cullen I..."

"Jacob you are friends with my son, please call me Carlisle."

"Of course, Carlisle." Jacob said while trying to swallow the huge lump forming in his throat. "I...I need to make a confession to you sir."

"Surely it cannot be that bad Jacob. I cannot imagine you doing something illegal that would require that type of confession. And while I am a man of faith I can assure you I am as far from a priest as you can get so your basic everyday sins cannot be absolved by me. Just tell me what the issue is and I am sure we can work it out." Carlisle said placing his hand on Jacob's trembling one.

Jacob sat there trying to calm his nerves so he could tell Carlisle everything James had wanted him to say.

"Damn he is good." Charlie commented from the other side of the mirror.

"You should have grown up with him. Edward and I were never able to get away with anything. Dad was always able to get us to tell him the truth to whatever infraction he was asking about and several others he had no idea about at the same time." Emmett said while shaking off the memories of Carlisle's _dad_ tactics.

"I'm afraid I might disappoint you then sir." Jacob finally said. "I'm here today to give you some information about Paul McGovern. I know that you see him as a person of interest in the shooting of Isabella Cigno and I may be able to help you out there."

"You are correct about that Jacob. We have been looking at him as a POI for her shooting. What do you know?"

"Well sir...I...I know that he has an unhealthy fascination with Miss Cigno..."

"Please Jacob no need for formalities here, I mean you played an important part in saving her life, surely it would be ok for you to call her Bella." Carlisle said with a smile.

"Of course, well like I was saying I know that he has been trying to get in touch with Miss...I mean Bella and that he sent her those flowers when she was in the hospital."

"Yes he did. He has been trying to send her gifts at my home as well but of course my security people have been intercepting them so the poor child does not have to be subjected to his terrible harassments further. I'm sure you remember how upsetting it was for her that day. We are doing everything in our power to make sure that does not happen again. The sweet girl has been through enough already; her mother was murdered in cold blood and then days later someone tried to kidnap her and in their failed attempts shot and nearly killed the innocent girl."

"I know...it's...it is a horrible thing for anyone to have to go through." Jacob stammered while he tried to discreetly wipe sweat off of his brow.

"Especially not someone as special and wonderful as our Bella. Of course I don't have to tell you how wonderful she is, you have met her and you know how she is." Carlisle said noticing the more highly he spoke of Bella the wetter Jacob's forehead became.

"The thing that still bothers us is trying to figure out how he knew what room she was in, and how he has been able to find out that she is staying at my house. None of that information has been made public and it really concerns us. Between the two of us I am very concerned that someone at the hospital has been feeding that information back to McGovern and frankly it pisses me off."

With those words Jacob began to cough uncontrollably.

"Jacob son, are you alright?" Carlisle asked getting up from his chair and pouring him a glass of water. "Here this should help." He said giving Jacob the glass.

"Th...thank you sir." Jacob managed to get out between fits of coughing before he quickly drank down the entire contents of the glass.

"Better now?" Carlisle asked him, concern dripping from his tone.

"Yes sir, thank you again." Jacob said before placing the glass back on the table with a heavy sigh. He knew he could no longer stall with Carlisle and that it was time to face the music.

"I'm...I'm afraid I am the one who gave Paul that information about Bella." Jacob said in a quiet voice.

Carlisle tried to control the anger that he felt racing through his body. He suspected that Jacob was the one who had been giving Paul information from the time Edward had told him Jacob needed to talk to him. Confirmation of this knowledge still infuriated him. He wanted to knock the shit out of Jacob but he knew he had to keep things the way they were progressing. There was something bigger at play here and he needed to let the game continue on a little longer.

"Jacob no." Carlisle said with a tone of hurt. "Why Jacob, why would you do that to our Bella."

Jacob hung his head down in shame. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but somehow hearing the hurt in Carlisle's voice was worse than if it had been his own father.

"I...I have been working for Paul for the past couple of years." Jacob said his attention focused on his hands. "I would provide him with information about certain patients that came into the hospital when he requested it. I have also provided medical help to him and his men with wounds and any medical equipment that they might need. He contacted me when Bella was in surgery and has been after me to give him all of her information since then."

"I'm...I'm shocked Jacob. How could you do such a thing? How could you work for someone like Paul McGovern?"

"My family never had a lot of money. My dad did the best he could to make sure that we had all that we could to survive but it just seemed to be enough, we always struggled. When I was ten years old there was this kid that wrecked his bike outside of our house. It was pretty bad and they had to call an ambulance to come and get him. I got to talking to one of the EMT's that showed up and he let me see in the inside of his rig and told me all about his job and I thought it was really cool. After that day I knew what I wanted to do. I worked hard in school and had pretty decent grades, kept my nose clean despite the gangs that were all around and volunteered at the hospital. In the end though it wasn't enough. I couldn't get any scholarships to go to school, my parents didn't have the money to send me and student loans would not cover enough to pay the full bill. I got a job working as a bus boy at this night club that Paul owned in hopes of trying to save up the money that I needed. I had enough to make it through the first year and I figured I could go to school and work at the same time but then my dad got very sick and was laid off because he couldn't work." Jacob paused for a moment before continuing on.

"I never met Paul during the first year I worked in the night club. I had seen him around, had heard rumors that he was into some bad things but I never saw anything. One night I was taking the trash out and I saw Paul beating this guy up out in the back alley. I tried to get back inside before he could see me but it was too late. Paul called me over to where he and this other guy were kicking the shit out of the guy. He put his arm around my shoulder and basically told me that I didn't see anything and that I should go back to work. I shook my head and then headed back inside, terrified that he would come after me. I was almost in the door when Paul asked me to come to his office later on that night to talk. I spent the rest of the evening numbly going through my routine. Seeing the way he beat up that I guy, I knew. All of the rumors were true and that more than likely Paul was going to kill me. I thought about running away, just leaving the place and never coming back but they had my address had all of my information and I feared they might do something to hurt someone in my family. So at the end of the night I went to Paul's office, to possibly face my death."

"When I got there it was nothing like I had expected. Paul asked me to sit down and he began to ask me questions, his tone was very friendly and I thought maybe just maybe all of the rumors were wrong. He wanted to know why I was working for him. When I told him I was trying to pay for school he wanted to know what I wanted to be and when I told him...I swear it was like this light bulb went off above his head. He offered to pay for school and to give me money to live off of so I wouldn't have to work anymore. He also said he would pay off my dad's medical bills. I asked him why he would do such a thing and he told me that he hoped one day I might be able to pay forward his generosity but that in the meantime not to worry about anything."

"I took the money Carlisle. I was young and naive about what he really was. I wanted to live my dream and he was giving me that chance. I wish I could take it all back, change that kids mind that day but I couldn't and shortly after I graduated from school and completed my training and started working at the hospital, Paul contacted me and told me it was time to repay his favor. I have been doing that ever since."

Jacob grew quiet as he waited for Carlisle to react. He had been there that day when Carlisle threatened Riley before Bella's surgery and he waited for Carlisle to unleash his fury on him.

It never came.

Jacob finally drew the courage to look up at Carlisle and he was met with the look of disappointment that only a father could give.

Carlisle was furious with Jacob but he knew that he had to play this a certain way or they would never really be able to get what they needed. Instead of acting on his anger he channeled it into a look of disappointment. A look he knew would get them further then anger.

"So why now Jacob? Why are you coming to me now?"

"Because Paul isn't thinking clearly anymore. He...I think he is crazy and I fear that he might really hurt Bella. Despite everything that I have told him so far and everything that I have done, I couldn't allow that to go on anymore. I know that she means a great deal to Edward and I couldn't do that to him. I couldn't allow Paul to hurt either one of them anymore."

"I see." Carlisle said. "So what can you do to help me ensure Bella's safety and my son's happiness?"

"I...I can give you information that will hopefully help you bring down Paul McGovern."

And for the next two hours Jacob did just that.

SSES

"Jacob I think we need a break." Carlisle said as he stood up and stretched out his limbs. "I am going to step out for a bit and get something to drink. Can I get you anything?"

"A soda maybe?" Jacob asked quietly. His throat was very dry from all of the talking that he had done but he had been afraid to push his luck with Carlisle's temper and ask for something while he was relating back everything that James had given him.

"Sure son." Carlisle said keeping up the façade of care and concern. "I'll have one of the agents bring you something shortly. I'll be back in a few minutes."

As soon as Carlisle left the room he went straight to the observation room where Charlie, Rose and Emmett were watching Jacob's confession.

As Jacob was giving his story and details, Rosalie began to pull up information on the names, dates and places that Jacob had given and Emmett and Charlie had arranged the information and pictures that she printed off onto bulletin boards.

When Carlisle walked into the room five boards were filled to the max and a sixth was being brought in for the additional information.

"Someone has been very busy I see." Carlisle said as he walked over and kissed Rose's cheek.

"Yes well you know how us IT geeks are." Rose answers him with a roll of her eye but a smile on her face.

"Talk to me Emmett." He said as he walked over to the first board.

"We have been able to find some information about all of the people that have been given to us so far. Out of the twenty five people that Black has given McGovern information on fifteen of them are dead. Ten of them died in the hospital and five of them were found dead from execution style wounds within days of their being released from the hospital. Out of the remaining ten, nine of them basically disappeared off the face of the world shortly after being released from the hospital, but their families suddenly came into small fortunes."

"And the twenty-fifth person?" Carlisle asked already knowing the answer.

"Bella." Emmett answered him quietly.

"And the men Jacob said he treated?"

"We haven't been able to find anything on them yet." Rose said. "I'm pretty sure we won't be able to either."

"It's a good start." Carlisle said with a heavy sigh.

"Too good a start." Emmett mumbled under his breath.

"What is it Emmett? What has you bothered?"

"It's too easy. All of this, Jacob, Riley the Scatori's, it's all too easy." Emmett said before walking over to one of the pictures. "I can't help but think we are being played here dad."

"Yeah me too." Carlisle said looking at a picture of James Spencer.

SSES

Carlisle walked back into the room where Jacob was left sitting by himself for the past twenty minutes.

"Sorry about that son. A few things came up that needed to be taken care of." He said as he stood by the door.

"No problem sir."

"You have given us a great deal of information to go on, information that should be very helpful."

"Glad I could help sir."

Carlisle walked over to the table and leaned against it positioning himself so that he was hovering over Jacob. Despite the fact the young man had a good sixty pounds of muscle and five inches of height over Carlisle, Jacob couldn't help but cower at Carlisle's close proximity.

"So what do you hope to gain from all of this Jacob?"

"I'm sorry sir?"

"Well surely you knew that coming to me was going to end in you doing jail time. I mean there is a very good likely hood that your information led to the murders of several of the people whose names you have given us. You are a smart man; you had to know there would be consequences."

"I...well...I...mean...I..." Jacob struggled to find his words.

"Surely you can see the dilemma that is now in front of me Jacob." Carlisle said, his voice dripping with an eerie calm. "On one hand you have been very helpful in giving us this information and in bringing an end to the threat facing Bella. On the other hand your actions have led to the murder of other people. People who you never knew, people who never did an ill thing towards you. People who just happen to have the misfortune of being in your hospital at the wrong time. Fifteen counts I think we were up to, fifteen counts of aiding and abetting murder. That's at least fifteen years for each count." Carlisle said as he stood from his position and began to walk around Jacob's chair.

With each word that Carlisle had just spoken, Jacob could feel the nausea swell up in his stomach. He had never given a second thought to the information that he had given Paul, never thought beyond his own self to what would happen. Now the fact he was responsible in part for the deaths of that many people made him very ill.

"Carlisle I..." Jacob said before he shot up from his chair and emptied his stomach into the trashcan in the room.

Carlisle opened the door and asked one of the agents outside if he could have a bottle of water, a towel and some mints. He handed them to Jacob once he was finished.

"I didn't know...I didn't think..." Jacob began.

"No you didn't think did you." Carlisle said as he kneeled down beside Jacob's quivering figure. "You made a deal with the devil and never gave another thought to how that would affect other people. Tell me Jacob is your father proud of the career you have made for yourself?"

Jacob nodded his head yes.

"And how proud do you think he would be to find out his only son was a party to so many murders?"

Tears began to form in Jacob's eyes as he thought about his father.

"It's time to atone for your sins Jacob. You have made your confession and now it is time for you to pay your penance."

"What...what do you want me to do?"

Carlisle leaned in towards Jacob, hovering over him once again and whispered in his ear.

"I want you to give me Paul McGovern's head on a fucking platter."

SSES

During the next two weeks everything began to fall into place.

Jacob went back to James with information about Carlisle's investigation into Paul and the Scatori brothers just as Carlisle wanted him to and in turn Jacob went back to Carlisle with the information that James wanted him to have.

Riley's arrest led to the discovery that not only was he a user but that he was also a lower level drug dealer. The FBI brought in the DEA and they were able to start a case that lead to the arrest of twenty six of the Scatori's men. Many of those men were more than willing to sacrifice their bosses to stay out of jail and it was quickly learned that the brotherhood of family meant nothing for that outfit.

James delighted in the family being taken down; never being the wiser to the fact Carlisle was one step closer to bringing down not only Paul, but James as well.

Blood test were able to determine that Riley had been using cocaine for at the very least months but they would never be able to know for sure if he had been high when he operated on Bella or any of his other patients. It upset Bella and her family knowing that Riley was possibly using when he worked on her, but Bella refused to let the _what ifs_ consume her. She has survived the surgery and was well on her way to making a full recovery and that was the most important thing to her.

Once the medical board was made aware of his drug use and his crimes they revoked his license and the hospital fired him immediately. Despite making a plea deal with the government, Riley was still looking at being in jail for at least ten years and potentially millions of dollars in malpractice lawsuits.

Jacob's fate was still undetermined as of yet. He was allowed to be a free man in order to keep up the façade that Carlisle was using to get all of the information that he needed. He did pay the consequences of losing his best friend and partner when Sam learned of his crimes. His only luck coming when Sam prevented Edward from doing more than breaking his nose after Edward went after him for his betrayal. Sam telling Edward that Jacob was not worth it hurt him more than Edward's punches.

Bella was getting stronger with each passing day and she had begun a rehabilitation program with Edward. She had spoken to Charlie about adding his name to her birth certificate and she had even told him that when all of the drama in their life was over with she wanted to legally chance her name to Swan.

Bella and Charlie continued to grow closer with each day as well and the two of them along with Katie quickly became a happy family.

Bella and Edward also grew closer to one another. They had several mini dates during the two weeks since their first date. They would share quiet dinners or take walks in Esme's gardens. They watched movies together or just spent their time relaxing on a blanket holding each other, sharing intimate kissing and enjoying the summer's cool nights.

Paul continued to try and shower Bella with gifts only to have them returned to him. With each passing day and each gift returned Paul grew more and more manic and withdrawn from the world he grew up in. James used that to his advantage by fueling his craze with ideas and thoughts, which brought him closer to taking over the business fully.

SSES

One part of Bella's rehabilitation was building her strength and lungs back up by taking walks. They were short in distance in the beginning but with each passing day she was able to venture a little further before she tired. She was quickly developing cabin fever and while she was able to get outdoors and walk the ground of the Cullen house, she wanted to get back out into the real world. There was a park near the Cullen house that had walking trails and Bella wanted to explore them. Dogwoods and other flowers were in full bloom now and Bella wanted to take her camera and explore in the park.

After a little kissing persuasion, Bella was able to get Edward to agree to allow her to go to the park on the conditions that he was with her to make sure that she was ok and that at least three agents would be with them at all times. The latter was Carlisle and Charlie's concession.

Katie joined them after their first two outings and the three of them developed a routine of taking daily walks.

"Your mom was over at our house bright and early every Saturday morning so she and your dad could watch Bugs Bunny together. They would camp out of the sofa, eating pancakes and sausage and spend the whole hour laughing. I thought as they got older that tradition would stop but up until their last summer together they carried on that tradition." Katie said as the three of them walked side by side. Two agents were in front of them with two agents following behind them.

"Mom and I did that as well." Bella said. "Mom bought a DVD box set for those times when we were in cities that didn't show Bugs Bunny on Saturday mornings so that we could still watch them. She would make pancakes and I would fry up the sausage and then we would snuggle up on the couch. We did that until I went away to Savannah."

Bella stopped for a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I guess that was another way mom shared something between daddy and I."

Katie pulled her into her arms and soothed her granddaughter. "She loved you both so much sweet girl."

"She did." Bella answered her before Katie pulled out of their embrace and kissed her tears away. Once Katie let her go, Edward pulled her into his own embrace. Bella relaxed into the safety she always felt in Edward's arms and took in a deep breath of his essence.

"You ok beautiful?"

"I am. Little memories just get me sometimes." She said as she laid her cheek against his warm chest.

"Nothing wrong with that darling girl. You love her and those memories will always be there to keep you close to her." He said as he kissed the top of her head.

Just as they were pulling away from each other the two agents that were in front of them suddenly flanked Edward and Bella on both sides, their guns drawn.

"Isabella." A male voice called from behind them. "Isabella please. It's Paul, please, tell these goons to let me come to you."

Edward instantly embraced Bella and turned her away from where Paul was trying to get past the two agents who were behind them as they walked.

"Sir you need to leave this place immediately." One of the agents told him as they held him back.

"I just want to talk with her." Paul said. "Isabella, please my girl, please just give me ten minutes."

"She does not want to see you sir, you need to leave her alone."

Katie looked over at Bella, watched her granddaughter tremble and fight tears as Edward spoke softly in her ear trying to calm her. She squared her shoulders and walked over to where Paul was being detained by two of the agents. Before Paul or the other agents could even register what she was doing, Katie lifted her fist and punched Paul square in the gut causing him to double over.

"Stay the fuck away from my granddaughter." She said in a very calm voice.

"Ma'am please don't." One of the agents guarding Bella and Edward said as he rushed to her and grabbed her hand before she could punch him again.

"Do not touch me." She seethed at the agent before she turned her attention back to Paul, walking closer to him so that she was staring him the face.

"You will not torture that poor girl anymore do you hear me. She wants nothing to do with you. She knows that you killed her mother and that she was shot because of you and enough is enough. Stay the fuck away from her."

"Do you have any idea of who I am you stupid bitch." Paul said as he held his stomach.

"I know exactly who you are you cowardly piece of shit. I have spent my whole life around men who were ten times scary then you could ever dream to be. You are fucking gnat on the shit they leave behind and that is all that you will ever be. Fuck with my family and you fuck with me which I can promise you do not want to do. Now leave her alone or as I stand here and the God Lord is my witness I will fucking end you myself!" Katie said before she turned her back to him and walked over to where Bella and Edward stood before she wrapped her arms around the two of them.

"It's ok baby girl." She whispered quietly.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch her assault and threaten me?" Paul asked the agents still holding him back.

"I didn't see a thing, did you Johnson?"

"Not one thing?" Agent Johnson replied.

"Now I am telling you for the last time, leave!" The other agent said.

"Fine!" Paul said and turned to leave. "But just know that this is not over by a long shot." He said before walking away.

"Bella are you ok?" Edward asked her as he pulled away from his protective embrace to look her over.

"I...think...think so." Bella said as she tried to regain control of her nerves before she looked over at Katie.

"Nana I can't believe you did that. He is dangerous." Bella said as she pulled Katie into a tight hug.

"Oh please baby girl, that piss ant is nothing. Nobody fucks with my family." Katie said while giving a nonchalant wave of her hands.

"Charlie is going to be pissed."

"I dare that boy to say one word to me. He may be over a foot taller than me but I can still bend him over my knee and bust his ass if he gets out of line."

Bella looked at Katie and then up at Edward before she busted out laughing.

"I love you Nana." She said between her laughter.

"I love you too baby girl."

SSES

"I'm telling you Jasper, it was the craziest thing I have ever seen. This tiny woman just walked right up to him and knocked the ever living shit out of him and then proceeded to tell him she would end him if he fucked with her family again." Edward spoke in awe as he recounted the story of Katie's encounter with Paul.

It was a Friday afternoon and Jasper and Edward had just finished lunch with one another at a deli near the hospital and were walking back there.

Jasper and Alice had been going back to Richmond during the week and returning to DC on Friday's to spend the weekends with the now extended Cullen and Swan families. Jasper and Edward met for lunch every Friday when they got back into town. The two of them had become good friends with one another since their disagreement and both of them were glad to have the other to call friend.

"I bet Charlie was pissed when he found out."

"That would be an understatement. I thought the man was going to have a coronary right then and there. He turned purple, actually turned purple. Carlisle was pissed too but I saw the smug smile on his face as Katie retold her story. Poor Charlie was ready to enter his mother in witness protection. Of course Katie would have no part in his fussing with her. He eventually left the house to clear his head knowing Katie would not let him have his say in the matter."

"What a spitfire that tiny woman is. I hate I missed out on the action. I would love to be able to take a swing at that piece of shit."

"Yeah me too. I swear Jasper I wanted to kill him, wanted to squeeze my hands around his throat and crush him. But I took one look at Bella and knew that I had to protect, had to try and keep her calm, help to make her feel safe. It was really hard though. That struggle between holding her to protect her and ending his life to protect her. It was really scary, I've...I've never felt that way before about another person. I took an oath for heaven's sake to do all that I can to protect human life and all I could do at that moment is think about ending his." Edward said with a heavy sigh.

Jasper stopped Edward and stood in front of him.

"Edward I understand. I would have felt the same way. It's human nature to want to protect the ones we love in any way we can. Feeling those things and acting on them are two different things, two different things that separate you from McGovern."

"Yeah I guess." Edward said. "Thanks man, I needed that."

"Anytime buddy." Jasper said as he patted Edward on the back.

"GUN!" The two men heard shouted out as one of the two agents that Carlisle insisted be assigned to Edward rushed past them with his weapon drawn.

They looked up to see a man pointing a gun coming at the two of them just seconds before he began to fire. In a flash, Edward and Jasper were both on the ground, covered by the second agent as the other took out the gunman with a shot to the chest.

"Dr. Cullen, are either of you hit." The agent who pushed the two men out of the way asked as he stood.

Edward rose up, not registering pain anywhere before looking himself over.

"No I'm good." He said. "Jasper, are you..." Edward's question was stopped short as he looked over at his friend and saw blood dripping from the hand that Jasper used to clutch his other arm.

"Fuck that hurts." Jasper grimaced before passing out from the pain.

"Jasper!" Edward yelled before rushing over to him to assess the wound.

"How bad?" The agent standing over them asked as he pulled out his phone and began to dial.

"It looks like a clean through and through. Bullet hit his upper arm and based on the location I don't think there is any bone damage. He more than likely passed out from the pain." Edward reported back to the agent.

"This is Agent Wilkins with the FBI, badge number 0927. Shots fired two blocks northwest of Washington Hospital. Two victims down. First victim has GSW to the upper arm doctor on site treating the wound. Second victim is the shooter and he is deceased." Wilkins paused to listen to the dispatcher. "Of course. Thank you." He said before hanging up the phone.

"ETA on a bus is three minutes Dr. Cullen."

"Thank you Agent Wilkins." Edward said before turning his attention back to Jasper.

As he applied more pressure to the wound, Jasper began to slowly open his eyes.

"What the fuck?" Jasper mumbled trying to working through the painful haze he was in.

"You were hit by one of the bullets. It looks to be a clean through and through. An ambulance will be here momentarily. Do you feel sick?"

"No doc I don't feel sick, I feel shot." Jasper said.

"Well at least you still have your sense of humor." Edward said trying to hold back his grin.

"I guess taking a bullet for you makes up for punching you doesn't it." Jasper said with a grimaced laugh.

"Yeah I guess this makes us even now." Edward said trying to hold back his laughter.

"Good cause I was tired of having lunch with your sorry ass. Now I guess I don't have to anymore."

"Bullshit!"

"Man is Alice going to be pissed at you." Jasper chuckled as he looked at the torn sleeve of his shirt.

"Why I didn't shoot you."

"No but you ruined one of her favorite shirts." Jasper chuckled again. His words caused Edward to bark out a laugh.

"Yeah you are going to be ok." Edward said just as the ambulance pulled up and two EMT's rushed over to them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**_

_**Is Nana bad ass or what? I swear I want to be her. Carlisle is pretty sneaky in his integration tactics as well. **_

_**Jasper will be fine, I promise.**_

_**So do you just love Nana? Feel any sympathy for Jacob? Want more Bella and Edward alone time?**_

_**Let me know what you are thinking. **_

_**Much love to you all!**_

_**Thanks! **_


	11. Chapter 11

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**I apologize whole heartedly for the delay once again. Life has been busy! Please forgive.**_

_**This chapter was originally meant to be longer with a bit of Carlisle action but in the end it just didn't feel right with the rest of the chapter so it has been moved to the next. So this one is a bit shorter and mostly Edward and Bella which most of my lovely readers wanted to see anyway.**_

_**Thank you all for the amazing reviews for the last chapter. I was blown away by the love that was given to Nana and Carlisle, the concern for Jasper and the lack thereof for Jacob. I loved reading them all and had some great laughs about what tortures should lay ahead for Jacob!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

"Where the fuck are my keys!" Alice screamed as she kneeled down on the ground rummaging through the contents of her purse that she had dumped around her feet in front of her car.

Bella and Alice had been in the living room talking with one another when she got the phone call about Jasper being shot. Although Edward had tried to reassure her that everything was ok, all Alice could focus on was her memories of a similar phone call almost six weeks earlier and she flew out of the door as quickly as she could grabbing her purse but leaving her keys behind.

She didn't say anything to Bella as she tore out of the door rummaging through her purse looking for her keys. She just bolted out the door without thinking properly. The more she searched the more frantic she became before she lost it. She screamed before dumping everything out on the ground and looking through the items for the keys that were lying on the hall table where her purse had just been.

It was in this frantic state that Bella found Alice.

"Alice sweetie what's wrong?" Bella said as she tried to calm Alice down.

"Edward...Jasper...shot..." Alice said before she broke down crying.

Alice's words panicked Bella instantly but she knew that she needed to keep her head about her in order to figure out just what it was that Alice was trying to say.

"Agent Williams." Bella called out from her spot beside Alice's car.

The agent in question came running over to Bella from his posted spot near the entrance to the Cullen house.

"Yes ma'am."

"Could you please pick her up and place her into your car. We evidently need to go to the hospital. Once you have her in the car can you please check and see what has happened. She said something about Edward and Jasper and one or both of them possibly being shot."

"Of course ma'am." Agent Williams answered her as he picked Alice up off the ground and carried her over to one of the FBI SUV's that were stationed at the Cullen house. Bella picked up the items from Alice's purse, putting them back in her bag before heading over to the car and getting in.

Agent Williams was finishing a phone call as Bella slid in beside Alice and pulled her into her arms to try and calm her down.

"There was a shooting this afternoon outside of a restaurant near Washington Hospital. It appears Mr. Cullen and Mr. Whitlock were the targets of this shooting. Mr. Whitlock was hit in the arm as an agent pulled him and Mr. Cullen out of the line of fire. From what I understand his wound is not life threating and Mr. Whitlock is going to be ok. Mr. Cullen was not harmed in the incident and was able to attend to Mr. Whitlock's wounds on the scene. They are both at Washington Hospital now."

"Thank you Michael." Bella said to the agent. "Could you please take us to the hospital now?"

"Yes ma'am, as soon as Agents Brown and Jenks join us we will be headed in that direction."

Carlisle had made it clear that Bella was to never have less than two agents with her at any given time she was outside the gates of the Cullen compound as it had been dubbed by the agents. While she had been to the park since coming to the Cullen house this was going to be her first trip back out into the real world so to speak and Agent Williams was not willing to go against the Deputy Director's orders.

As soon as the other agents entered the car they made the drive to the hospital. Bella was able to calm Alice somewhat with her words of assurances that Jasper was ok but the tears still fell down Alice's face as the _what ifs_ ran through her mind.

As soon as they arrived at the hospital the three agents flanked Bella and Alice and led them into the ER entrance. Sam Uley was standing by one of the registration desks and he instantly became concerned when he saw Bella rushing in with a despondent Alice.

"Bella." Sam said as he rushed over to her and Alice only to be dropped to the ground by one of the agents.

"It's ok Agent Brown; he works here and was cleared by Carlisle." Bella said as she grabbed the agent's arm to prevent him from hurting Sam.

"Ma'am." The agent replied with a nod of his head.

"Sorry about that Sam." Bella said as Sam stood up.

"No problem." Sam said as he dusted himself off. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, but we got a call saying that there was a shooting that involved Edward and my friend Jasper Whitlock. Jasper was hit and he is supposed to be here. Can you help us please?"

"Sure thing Bella." Sam said as he walked over to the registration desk and typed in some information.

"Follow me ladies. He is in exam room five, Edward is with him." Sam said as he stepped out from behind the desk and led the ladies down the hallway to the exam room he had mentioned.

There were many different scenarios running through Alice's mind as she walked down the hall to the exam room, scenarios that terrified her to no end. The one she was not expecting at all was to walk into the examination room to find both Jasper and Edward laughing with one another.

"Just what the fuck is going on here?" She screamed as she marched into the room.

"Alice sweetie calm down." Jasper said, his laughter quickly turning to shock at the sight of his wife.

"Calm down. Calm down he says to me." Alice says as she turns back to look at Bella. "I get a call informing me that my husband has been shot. I rush to the hospital not knowing how badly he has been hurt and I walk into the room to find him and the doctor who is supposed to be taking care of him, who by the way was also involved in the shooting, laughing and he has the nerve to tell me to calm down." She seethed as she paced back and forth in the small room.

"Alice baby, I'm ok. Edward told you I was going to be ok over the phone." He said as he got off the bed and walked over to where his wife was pacing back and forth.

"I know he did Jasper but all I could register was the words Jasper and shot. Do you not remember the call we got a few weeks ago? The one telling us that Bella had been shot. We almost lost her Jasper; she almost died because she was shot. All I could think about was that we almost...that I could...lose...I can't...I can't lose you Jasper." Alice's words fell into a whisper and as she finished her sentence she launched herself into Jasper's arms.

"You are not going to lose me love." Jasper said as he pulled her into his chest and tried to quiet her sobs. "I'm ok. I was very lucky baby and I am going to be ok. It was just a flesh wound really." He continued as he rubbed her hair and placed gentle kisses on her head.

"Edward?" Bella called from the doorway to the room.

Edward could see the concern in Bella's eyes and he rushed over to her and pulled her into his own arms.

"He really is going to be ok sweet girl." He said as he held Bella in his arms. "The bullet entered his arm and exited cleanly. It didn't hit any bones and did not damage the muscle in his arms. He has ten stitches in his arm to seal the entrance and exit points and he is going to be sore for about a week. But he is very, very lucky otherwise."

"And you?" Bella asked with trepidation in her voice.

"I'm ok sweetie, not a scratch on me." He answered her as he pulled her face up to look at his.

The fear in her eyes faded and she rested her forehead on his chest. "Thank God." She whispered.

"Are you ok?" He asked instantly worried about what the stress could be doing to her.

"I'm ok Edward." She answered him. He raised her face up to look at him so he could better determine if she was being honest with him.

"Really Edward, I am good. I'm just so thankful you both are ok. It was very scary to hear that there was a shooting and you two were involved."

"I hate that you were scared sweet girl."

"Does this have anything to do with Paul?"

"We don't know yet. The guy who shot at us was killed by one of the agents with us. Dad has already been here to get our statements as well as to debrief the agents and get information on the guy. They are trying to see if Jacob recognizes him as someone who was associated with McGovern."

Bella nodded her head in understanding before letting go of Edward and walking over to Jasper and Alice.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Bella says to Jasper hoping to make Alice smile.

"Not a chance darling, you win hands down." Jasper said as he pulled Bella into his arms along with Alice.

"I'm glad you're ok." Bella whispered into the crook of his neck.

"Yeah me too darling. I'm sorry to have worried you." He said as he kissed her forehead.

"I love you Jasper." Bella said.

"I love you too darling." Jasper said.

Bella pulled away from their embrace and kissed him on the cheek before walking back over to Edward.

"How long do you have to stay here?" Alice asked.

"Doc?" Jasper asked looking over at Edward.

"I just need to finish some paperwork and then you should be good to go. Give me thirty minutes." Edward said as he leaned down and kissed Bella gently on the lips before leaving to do Jasper's release paperwork.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." Alice said as she loosened her grip on Jasper and looked up at him.

"Not a chance love." He said giving her his best southern charm smile.

"Did it hurt?"

"Like a son of a bitch." Jasper chuckled. "Of course I am sure it was nothing like what our sweet girl there felt." Jasper said looking at Bella with sympathy.

"I really didn't think it hurt that bad." Bella said with a nonchalant tone to her voice. "I guess I am just stronger than you." Bella said with a shrug of her shoulders and a grin on her face.

"Ouch! Where is the love for the guy who just got shot?" Jasper asked with a whimper to his voice.

"Oh poor baby!" Alice and Bella said at the same time.

"Jinx!" They both said at the same time again which caused the three of them to bust out laughing.

**SSES**

Once Jasper was cleared to leave the hospital and Edward was sent home by his supervisor the four of them climbed into the back of an FBI SUV and headed back to the Cullen house.

While Jasper, Alice and Edward joked around with one another on the drive home, Bella sat quietly looking out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

She remained quiet as the family gathered for dinner and Bella excused herself to her room after dinner saying that she was tired.

Edward, who had been watching her carefully for any signs that the days stress had been harmful to her, followed her to her room shortly after she excused herself so that he could make sure she was ok.

He knocked on her door lightly and when she asked him to come in her found her sitting in the window seat looking out into one of the gardens in the back of the house. She had her knees pulled up against her body and her head resting on her arms that hugged her legs tightly to her.

"Bella sweetie, are you ok?"

"Just tired." She answered him without looking at him.

"It's more than that baby. Tell me what's wrong." He said as he walked over and sat across from her on the window seat.

Bella sighed before looking up at Edward. She lifted her head a little, resting her chin on her knees and looking up at him.

"Just thinking I guess."

"About?"

"Changes."

"What kind of changes?"

Bella sighed again before sitting up straight and leaning her head back against the wall of the window seat. Her eyes never leaving Edward's.

"My whole life I guess. It has been filled with nothing but changes. Different schools, different cities, different houses, different friends." Bella paused for a moment trying to get the words right in her head. Edward leaned forward and took her hand into his showing her that he was there for her.

"I never thought about those changes until now. I just accepted them as a part of my life. Mom made them into an adventure and at times they really were. I learned to adapt really well and to be able to handle most anything that came my way. Despite everything I always had mom and she made sure we always had the ocean no matter where our adventure took us to next and I was ok with that. But now..."

"Now what baby?" Edward asked her.

"Now I don't want change." Bella answered him.

Edward leaned forward and kissed Bella gently on the head before he pulled her into his arms.

"For the first time in my life I feel like fighting against change. I have a dad and a nana. I have my best friends Alice and Jasper. I have a new family in Esme, Carlisle, Rose and Emmett. And best of all I have you Edward. I don't want to lose any of you. I'm not willing to just giving any of you up without a fight. I want to be selfish for once. I'm not ready to lose any one of you. For about an hour today there was a really good possibility that I could have lost two of you and that scared the hell out of me. It made me realize how much I have to lose now and how much I want things in my life to have some semblance of stagnation if that makes any sense." Bella said with a slight chuckle into his chest.

Edward nudged her head up so that he could look into her eyes, so that she could see the truth in the feelings behind the words he was about to speak.

"It makes perfect sense to me Bella. All of those changes that you went through in life have given you the strength that you have today; they have made you the amazing, wonderful, loving person that you are today. And it is all of those things that you have inside of you which make you want to fight against any changes now. It's not you being selfish, it's you getting what you deserve. You should fight against them Bella. You deserve to have everything that you want sweet girl. Your dad and nana, Alice and Jasper, my family and I, we all adore you and want you with us always. We want to fight against any change that will take you away from us just as much as you want to. With all of us working together, change doesn't stand a chance in hell! You're stuck with all of us baby!" He finished with a grin.

Bella looked deep into Edward's eyes and the truth she saw there warmed her through and through.

"You've made it so easy for me Edward Cullen." She smiled.

"What have I made easy for you my love?"

"You've made it easy for me to fall in love with you."

Bella's smile grew as the Edward's own smile took over his face.

"And you Bella Swan have made it very easy for me to fall in love with you as well." He beamed before he pulled her tighter into him and claimed her lips as his own.

**SSES**

Two nights later Edward stood outside of Bella's bedroom door knocking lightly. They were going out together for the evening. Out of the house, out of the gardens and out into the city. It took a lot of persuading on Charlie and Carlisle's part and the acceptance of a small entourage of private security guards plus two FBI agents on Bella and Edward's part, but in the end it meant a real date for the two of them.

Edward was left momentarily awe struck when Bella opened the door to her room. The soft light in the room illuminated her so that she looked like she was an angel. She was wearing a soft pink gauzy summer dress that cascaded gently around her body when she walked. Her hair was loose, soft curls hugging her shoulders and back.

"My God Bella, you are...stunning." Edward managed to murmur out.

"Thank you Edward." She blushed before taking in the view of Edward in his tailor fit black dress pants and dark green button down dress shirt that hugged his chest like a warm embrace. "You are quite stunning yourself." She said with a wink.

"Are you ready my love?" Edward asked as he held out his hand for her to take.

"Absolutely." Bella answered him as she took his hand and let him lead her towards the awaiting cars outside.

Carlisle had hired a private security company to protect the two of them as they ventured out into the city. The team consisted of identical cars that were not only heavily tinted but heavily weapons proof. Each car would have three guards riding in them and Edward and Bella were never to ride in the same car more than once. Along with the guards, Agents Williams and Brown were also going to be riding in a separate car following the procession.

Carlisle and Charlie both knew this type of security was very excessive, but considering both of the children had attempts made on their lives in board day light surrounded by hundreds of people, neither of them were willing to go with anything less.

"So where are you taking me to?" Bella asked once they were securely in place in the second car of the procession.

"We are going to dinner at Indigo Landing and then I have a surprise for you."

"Good surprise?" Bella asked hopefully.

"I think so." Edward answered her with a sly grin and a wink.

The restaurant Edward had chosen sat on the Potomac River and had great views of DC monuments. Edward had reserved one of the private dining areas, which was actually a porch that was closed off to the rest of the restaurant but boasted views of the river and the city's landmarks lit up so that the lights twinkled in the water.

"Edward this view is beautiful." Bella whispered as she sat in the chair Edward had pulled out for her.

"I thought you would like it." Edward said with a grin as he kissed her shoulder before taking his own seat.

The guards made sure to keep a distance from Bella and Edward to allow them a little bit of privacy as they shared dinner. Bella was not able to drink wine yet because of the antibiotics she was still taking so Edward chose not to have any either.

They shared a plate of steamed mussels and crap dip while they talked about movies, music and books. Edward enjoyed a Rib Eye steak with succulent bourbon molasses glaze while Bella enjoyed a creamy Spring Vegetable Risotto.

Throughout dinner they fed each other small bites from their plates, shared lingering gentle touches of their hands and got lost in each other's eyes. Despite having an entourage of eleven heavily armed body guards surrounding them, their dinner together was very intimate.

"Thank you Edward." Bella said as he took her hand and led her back to the cars that would take them to their next destination.

"For what my love?"

"For such a lovely dinner, for being a true gentleman, for helping me to forget all of the crap for a while."

"Anything for you my love." Edward said as he brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. "I think this next part will make it even better."

"I can't wait."

Bella enjoyed the ride through DC, taking in the city at night, watching the monuments passing by she held onto Edward's hand. As they passed the National Gallery of Art, Bella mentioned to Edward that she had wanted to go there while she was in DC but had not had the opportunity to yet.

"Well that is about to change my love." Edward said with a smirk as the caravan of cars pulled into the back entrance of the museum.

"Edward?" Bella asked looking over at him in disbelief. "It's after nine at night. It's closed. How..."

"Let's just say there are certain benefits to being the child of Carlisle and Esme Cullen." Edward answered her as he stepped out of the car offering her his hand.

An older gentleman was waiting for them at the employee entrance to the museum with a huge smile on his face.

"Mr. Cullen, Miss Swan it is a pleasure to have you with us tonight." He said as he extended his hand out to the couple.

"Thank you for being so accommodating Mr. Alexander. I know you do not do this sort of thing so it really does mean a lot to me that you agreed to it." Edward replied as he shook his hand.

"Nonsense Mr. Cullen. As soon as your mother called me and asked I was more than happy to oblige her. I would do just about anything for Esme Cullen." The kindly gentleman said as he ushered the couple and their body guards into the museum.

"You have two hours to roam around and explore. We have the security room set up so that some of your men can monitor things throughout the museum while you do so. If you gentleman would follow me I will be happy to get you started. I do hope you enjoy yourselves and please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions." He said as he handed Edward his cell phone number. "I will be in my office until you are ready to leave."

Agent Brown and three of the security detail followed Mr. Alexander towards the security room.

"I can't believe this is real. It's like something out of a movie." Bella said as she looked around her.

"It's real beautiful girl." Edward said before leaning down to kiss Bella.

The couple shared a loving embrace and a passionate kiss while they stood in the back hall of the museum. The only thing breaking them apart was the crackle of a walkie talkie.

"The museum is clear Edward." Agent Williams said with a grin on his face. "You are free to move about."

"Thank you Michael." Edward chuckled before kissing Bella again softly and taking her hand to lead her on their tour.

The two of them explored the museum taking their time to stop and admire all of the works of art that drew them in.

As they entered into one of the halls Bella gasped as she saw a sign for the works of Saul Leiter.

"Oh Edward how did you know?" She asked.

"During one of our first talks in the hospital you were telling me about some of the photographers that you admired and you mentioned his name. When I saw that they had an exhibition of his work here I knew I had to bring you."

"This is perfect. Thank you so much!" She said as she bounced on her feet before kissing him quickly on the cheek and moving in the direction of the exhibit.

"So tell me beautiful girl, what you love so much about his photos." Edward asked as he pulled her into his arms, her back against his chest.

"There is such an intimacy to his work." Bella sighed as she admired the photo in front of them. "It's the way he uses windows to frame his work. When I see one of his photos I do not feel like I am looking at a photo. I feel like I am sitting in that small coffee house, looking out the window observing the world. He makes you take notice of the small woman standing there in the rain waiting. You notice the way she is standing, the way her dress blows in the window and you cannot help but create your own story as to why she is there. What thoughts are going through her mind, is she happy or sad? Is she waiting for the love of her life or is she waiting to end a relationship? There are so many possibilities, so many variations of what could be. It is intimate and intrusive at the same time. He presents you with real life in his photos but does it in a way that you decide what that real life may be. It's just so beautiful to me."

"You are just so beautiful my love." Edward says as he turns her around and takes her face gently into his hands. "I know it sounds very cheesy but the way you speak of his work. The passion that you have in your eyes and in your voice as you talk that is what is beautiful to me Bella."

"Oh Edward." Bella says with a giggle. "That may be the cheesiest thing I have ever heard." She says as she pulls him into an embrace. "But I love it none the less! Thank you for bringing me here. This is just perfect."

"Anything for you my love, anything." Edward said as he took her hand. "The only thing that would make it better would be if we had on roller skates."

"Oh my goodness, I love _L.A. Story_. That scene when they are in the art museum and he talks about the painting with so much detail and passion and then you see it is just a canvas of red is one of my favorites." Bella says.

"Mine too." Edward says with a laugh.

They spend the rest of their journey talking about the different works of art that they explore, each of them sharing their thoughts with the other.

It is well after midnight when they return to the Cullen house. Bella has fallen asleep on Edward's shoulder and he gently nudges her awake.

"We're home beautiful." He whispers in her ear.

"Our home." Bella answers him dreamily and he cannot help but revel in the feelings those two words elicit in him.

"Yes my love, our home." Edward says as he helps her out of the car.

"Best date ever." Bella says as they stand in front of her door. She is half awake and half asleep but the smile on her face lets Edward know she is coherent enough to speak the truth.

"I agree." Edward says with his own smile.

"I'm not ready for it to end yet."

"Me either."

"Stay with me tonight Edward?" Bella asks him fully awake now.

"Bella I..."

"Not in a sexual way Edward, not yet. I just want to fall asleep in your arms. To have this feeling of normalcy, these feelings of intimacy stay with me a little longer."

"Anything for you my love." Edward answers her with a smile. "Give me a moment and I'll return."

The two separate to complete their nightly routines and change into sleep clothes before Edward comes back and joins Bella in the bed.

They share sweet kisses and soft words before cuddling into the other and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**So a bit of fluff before the action begins again. Hope you enjoyed it.**_

_**If you Google the works of Saul Leiter you will see what Bella was talking about him using windows as the frames for the majority of his work. They really are amazing to see and such a genius use of something so abundant and normal in all of our lives to make a photo so much more than it could be.**_

_**L.A. Story (1991) – Directed by Mick Jackson and written by and starring Steve Martin. Also starting Victoria Tennant, a young Sara Jessica Parker and cameos or small parts by other great actors. It is a very quirky look at life in LA in the 90's. It is smartly written and acted and beautifully filmed. Great watch for a lazy afternoon.**_

_**Let me know what you think and if you enjoyed the date. Thank you all again for the love! **_


	12. Chapter 12

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**I apologize greatly. I think my writing muse has been on a leave of absence. It has come back to me for the moment and I hope that it plans on staying for a while. I do promise though that this will be finished.**_

_**Things have been very interesting here on the East coast of late. A busy week this past one, my son started high school (cannot believe I am old enough to have a child in high school), earthquakes rocked eight states (I know I know for those on the west coast it was just a little rumble) and a breezy woman named Irene tried to take over. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who have been affected by Mother Nature and everyday life as of late. We were lucky in my part of the south. Heavy rain and crazy winds (the worst were on the back side of the storm) but nothing compared to what they experienced further North. Godspeed to you all.**_

_**Thank you for bearing with me and I hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

A distinct clicking sound hit Esme as soon as she returned home from checking in on her practice's offices. She followed the odd sounding noise to the kitchen to find Bella standing with her back to the door. Smells of cinnamon, flour and butter filled her senses as she moved further into the room.

"Wow it smells really good in here." Esme said as she walked over to Bella to see what she was doing that was making the sound.

"Thanks. I hope you don't mind me taking over your kitchen for a bit. Nana and I went to the farmers market today and they had these beautiful cherries there. Jasper loves cherry pie and I thought I would make him a little something to help his boo boo." Bella said as she placed a cherry into a pitter and pressed it down. The clicking noise Esme heard was now clearer to her as the sound of a pitter pushing cherry pits out of the fruit.

"Jasper and his boo boo." Esme said with a chuckle. "I swear that man knows how to milk an injury." Esme says referring to the amount of attention his has been lavished with in the past few days by both Alice and Nana.

Bella could not help but laugh at Esme's observation as she knew it was the truth. Jasper had been using his injury and his southern charm to get Nana to make him lots of sweet goodies in the three days he had been home from the shooting. Of course Alice was still just so happy that he was ok she was waiting on him hand and foot.

"Yeah he is getting as much mileage out of a flesh wound as he possible can. It won't be long though until he pushes his luck with Alice and she tells him to get off his ass and get his own damn water. She loves him to death but she will only baby him for so long."

"As it should be with any man." Esme says with a chuckle.

"Where did you learn how to make cherry pies? If I remember correctly Renee wasn't that skilled in the kitchen. I guess she got better?"

"God no, mom wasn't allowed in the kitchen." Bella said with a shake of her head." We usually had neighbors who would help out with the cooking. Mom would clean their houses and in return they would fix meals for us. One of those bartering things mom did. When I turned six I began helping whoever it was that was cooking for us at the time and I learned everything I know now from those lovely ladies and gentlemen. It was actually a little old man named Bubba in Big Pine Key down in Florida that taught me how to make pies. Bubba was 78 years old at the time and his family had owned this little restaurant on the key his whole life. He was an only child and his mama wanted him to carry on the tradition of making all the desserts for the place and she taught him everything he knew. I was about eight at the time and mom was working as a waitress there. I would go there after school and Bubba would teach me how to make pies." Bella said with a smile as she thought back to those days in the kitchen with Bubba.

"It wasn't all bad was it Bella?"

"No Esme, it wasn't bad at all really." Bella said before turning to look at the beautiful woman standing before her. "Even with knowing what I know now I'll never regret the people we got to know and the places we went. Mom did the best she could, I know that now more than ever and I love her even more for all that she did to make sure my life was somewhat normal. I wish daddy could have been there with us. I wish I could have been in one school growing up or in one house like your boys were. But I know that I cannot live my life on past wishes. All I can do is take all of those experiences that gave me a history and the people who shaped my future and use those to help me hold onto to her memory."

"You are so amazing Bella. I'm so proud of you darling and I love you so much." Esme said as she brushed silent tears away from the corners of her eyes.

"I love you too Esme." Bella says as she reaches out to help wipe those tears away as well.

"Would you like to help me?" Bella asks.

"I would love to help you my sweet girl." Esme says as she leans in and kisses Bella's forehead before she walks over to the pantry and pulls out an apron to put on.

The two women spend the afternoon making cherry pies and sharing stories of Renee together.

SSES

"Our unsubs name was Marcus Caius." Emmett says as he passes a photo of the man who shot at Edward and Jasper out to both Carlisle and Charlie. "Jacob has identified him as one of the men he has treated for Paul before. According to Jacob he was kind of a fuck up. He was always quick to try and please both Paul and his older brother Arlas who according to Jacob also works for Paul." Emmett says as he pulls out a picture of the two brothers standing together outside of McGovern's warehouse. "Arlas is a top tier guy while Marcus had been trying rather unsuccessful for the past two years to move into a third tier status. Jacob said he was actually a regular in need of attention because he was hot headed and let his temper get the better of him yet he lacked the skills needed to back up his mouth."

"Not that I am complaining in the least but why do you think Paul would send someone who was incompetent to try and kill Edward? Do you think it was a warning maybe?" Charlie asked.

"No I fully believe his intent was to have Edward killed." Carlisle said with anger in his voice. He stilled himself for a moment trying to gain his composure once again. "Honestly I think this guy was all that he had without having to get his own hands dirty. From the information we are getting from Jacob it sounds as if James is trying to pull all alliances away from Paul and therefore his usual go to guys are hesitant to do anything for him at the moment because they think he is losing his shit. There is a war brewing in the McGovern family and the current leader is too fucked in the head to realize it."

"So now what?" Emmett asked.

"We use it to our advantage." Carlisle answered him with a sinister smile on his face.

SSES

Paul is sitting in his office going over in his head what he deems another fuck up in his quest to gain the affections of Isabella Cigno when loud voices and bangs bring his attention back to the present.

"What the fuck?" He says as he stands up and heads to the door to see what the disturbance is. As he throws the door open he is met with the stone cold stare of Deputy Director Carlisle Cullen.

"Who the fuck are you and what the fuck do you think you are doing here?" Paul seethes.

"Oh you know exactly who the fuck I am Paul." Carlisle says as he slams a piece of paper into Paul's chest. "And as to what the fuck I am doing here this is a warrant to search your warehouse."

"What the fuck for?" Paul yells as he throws the piece of paper back at Carlisle. "James." He screams. "James." He screams again but with no response.

"We have been given a tip that a shipment of stolen weapons arrived here just this morning." Carlisle says in a voice that is much calmer than his true feelings. He takes the piece of paper and hands it back to Paul, moving into him so that he is whispering in his ear. "How about we step inside your office and have a little chat while my men do their jobs shall we?"

Paul looks past Carlisle for a moment sure that his right hand man will appear at any moment and deal with this situation.

"Tick tock Paul." Carlisle says with a raised eyebrow.

Paul takes the piece of paper from Carlisle's hand and turns his back walking back over and taking a seat behind his desk.

Carlisle follows him in and walks over to the set of blinds that cover the one window in the office. With his back turned to Paul he lowers the blinds and turns the flaps so that no one can see into the office.

Paul begins to reach behind him to grab his Eagle from behind his back but before he can complete his movements, Carlisle is on him in an instant. Paul's chair is pushed up against the wall and Carlisle's Glock 9 is in his face.

"I don't fucking think so." Carlisle says as he reaches behind Paul's back and pulls the gun out of his trembling hand and places it on the desk behind him.

"You have nothing on me. There are no stolen weapons here and I have a permit for that one. There is nothing else that you think you are going to find here either." Paul says as he tries to reign in his terror at having a gun shoved not so gently into his forehead.

"Oh I know." Carlisle says as he backs away a little, removing the gun from his forehead but keeping it steadily aimed at his face.

Carlisle's words shock Paul for a moment and he stares at the man who stands before him with a calm so steely that it's eerie.

"Then why are you here?"

"Oh you know exactly why I am here." Carlisle says.

"Enlighten me. Pretend I am stupid and have no clue." Paul says as he sits back in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest in an attempt to show the man before him he has no fears.

"That shouldn't be too hard to do now should it?" Carlisle says knowing his words will raise Paul's temper.

"Fuck you!" Paul screams as he jumps up from his seat.

"I'd really rather not." Carlisle says as he pushes the gun back into Paul's forehead. "Let me ask you a question you stupid prick. Did you really think you could just kill _my son_ and there would be no retribution for it?"

"_MY SON_!" Carlisle yells as he uses the gun to push Paul back into his chair. "First you fuck with _our_ Isabella and then you go after _my son_..."

"My Isabella." Paul interrupts Carlisle as he tries to grab the gun from Carlisle's hand.

"Never yours!" Carlisle says as he pulls his hand away from Paul and pistol whips him sending him flying back into his chair.

"That's police brutality." Paul screams as he grabs his cheek that has exploded in pain. "I'll own your ass after this."

"Doubtful." Carlisle says as he calmly sits on the corner of Paul's desk, his gun still pointed steadily at him.

"You cannot get away with this." Paul says as he straightens himself up in his chair.

"Oh I can and I will." Carlisle says with a smirk. "Now as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, first you go after _our_ Isabella and then you go after _my_ son. You are fucking with _MY_ family." Carlisle stands from his position on the desk and gets down in Paul's face.

"No. One. Fucks. With. _My_. Family." He says in a calmly demanding voice never once taking his eyes off of Paul's.

"Deputy Director Cullen." A voice calls from the other side of the door.

"You may enter." Carlisle says as he stands and places his gun back into his holster.

Emmett opens the door and walks into the room. "I'm sorry to say we found no evidence of weapons here."

"And you turned this place upside down looking?" Carlisle asked his son never taking his eyes off of Paul.

"Devastated it sir." Emmett replies with a smirk.

"Oh well. I guess our tipster was wrong. Pity." Carlisle says as he turns to walk out of the door.

Just as he is about to leave the office he turns back to look at Paul.

"Tell me Paul, are you sitting there wondering how I was able to get so close to you without your security detail? What is his name again?" Carlisle asks Emmett.

"That would be James Spencer sir." Emmett answers him.

"Oh yes, James Spencer. I guess his attention must be diverted elsewhere." Carlisle says before closing the door behind him and walking out of the warehouse.

As he gets outside of the warehouse another agent approaches him with another man walking with him.

"Deputy Director Cullen this is Arlas Caius." The agent says as he points to the man beside him.

"Ah yes, Mr. Caius." Carlisle says as his tone turns somber. "I regret to inform you that your brother Marcus was killed four days ago."

"What? How?" Arlas asked him.

"I'm sad to say that your brother attempted to take the life of another man. A man who just happened to be my son who was being protected by agents for threats made against his life. When your brother opened fire upon my son and another man the agents protecting my son returned fire and your brother was fatally wounded but not before one of his bullets struck the man with my son."

"I...I..." Arlas stammered.

"I truly am sorry for your loss sir. Even though he was trying to harm my own child, the FBI does not relish the thoughts of taking another human life." Carlisle said before turning and heading towards the SUV that was waiting for him.

SSES

"Where the fuck are you James?" Paul screeches into his phone as he walks around the warehouse and takes in the mess the agents have left behind in their search. "The FBI just left my warehouse after they destroyed it looking for bullshit and you are nowhere to be found at the moment." He continued on to James' voicemail. "And to top it all off that fucker Cullen threatened me. _ME _damn it and _you_ are nowhere to be found. I hope for your sake fucker that you are either dead or dying because once I get a hold of you there is only one option open!" Paul screamed before throwing his phone across the room watching it shatter in several pieces as it hit a wall.

"FUCK!" He screamed before he began pacing back and forth. "Where the fuck is he?" Paul asked everyone and no one.

"I overheard Vinnie and Mickey talking about how Vinnie dropped James off at Thomas O'Malley's house a few hours ago. He told Mickey he was surprised to see Greene, Hurley and Greer walking into the house as well." One of Paul's men named Bruce told him.

"Those were my father's men. Why the hell is he meeting with them without my knowledge?" Paul asked as he stopped his pacing.

"Well boss...there um...there has been..." Bruce stammered along not looking his boss in the eye.

"Spit it the fuck out Bruce." Paul yelled.

"Well sir there has been some grumbling around the warehouse that maybe James is trying to out you."

"WHAT!" Paul screamed grabbing Bruce by the arms to make him look him in the eyes.

"That's just some things I have heard sir. No one has said anything to me directly but you know some of the guys here don't watch what they are saying and just let anything spill out."

"That fucking bastard!" Paul said to himself as he let go of Bruce. "You be sure to let me know if you hear anything else as soon as you hear it ok. And find Vinnie and bring him to my office."

"Yes boss." Bruce said.

"McGovern!" Arlas' voice was heard throughout the warehouse.

"What the fuck is your problem Caius." Paul said turning his attention to the man charging at him.

"You are my problem you bastard." He said before punching Paul in the face. "You sent my little brother to kill the son of the fucking Deputy Director of the FBI."

Within seconds of the punch three of Paul's men where on top of Arlas holding him back. Paul rose to his feet, took his gun out of his back and pistol whipped the man across the face.

"I should fucking shoot you for that." Paul screamed in his face. "All I have heard for the past two years was your pussy brother begging me to let him take someone out and when I give him a job to do he fucks it up beyond all belief and brings this shit storm down on me."

"You knew he couldn't handle something like that. If you wanted that guy dead why didn't you just do it yourself?" Arlas asked.

"I was tired of listening to him whine and beg. I was trying to be nice but we see where that has gotten me." Paul said throwing his hands up in the air and looking all around the room.

"Bruce, get this piece of shit out of my face and teach him some manners. I have more important things to deal with at the moment." Paul said before turning and walking quickly back to his office.

"This isn't over." Arlas screamed as he was being dragged out of the warehouse.

"You are right about that asshole. This is just beginning!"

SSES

"Ma there is no way you are going back to Crisfield." Charlie said as he watched his mother pack.

"Don't take that tone with me young man." Katie said pointing her finger at her son. "That idiot Max cannot seem to pull his head out of his ass and run things so I can have some time with my granddaughter so I have to go and straighten things out." Katie said as she continued her packing.

"Ma it is too dangerous for you to leave here."

"Bullshit Charlie. That bastard is not after me and I'm sure I'll have my own security detail to keep me safe."

"How do you know he isn't after you ma, you did assault him after all." Charlie said crossing his arms over his chest as he blocked the way for his mother to finish getting her clothes out of the dresser.

"Boy don't you dear think for one minute that I will hesitate to bust your ass for getting in my way. I don't care how old you are, show your mother respect or else."

"Mama please." Charlie said lowering his voice and his arms from his chest.

"Oh Charlie." Katie said before wrapping her arms around her son. "I have to go sweetie. Other than you those boats and that business were your daddy's greatest pride in life. I cannot and will not let it all go to hell because some snot nosed kid cannot run it like I am paying him; very well I might add, to do. I need to go home and kick some ass and get it back up and running properly again. I have to go Charlie."

"Where are you going?" Bella asks from the doorway to her grandmother's room.

"I need to go home baby girl. There is a problem with one of your granddaddy's crab boats and I need to go and straighten it out. I won't be gone that long and then I will come back up here ok?"

"Maybe we could go with you?" Bella asked.

"No way." Charlie roared. "There is no way you are leaving this place Bella. Not with that bastard still running around out there."

"Daddy just listen to me please."

"There is nothing to listen to Isabella, there is no way in hell that..."

"Charlie shut up and let your daughter speak." Katie said interrupting her son. Charlie stood there staring at his mother like she was crazy.

"That's better, now go ahead baby girl."

"Daddy my whole life has been spent hiding from that man without my even knowing it and now that I do I am sick and tired of hiding. I can't keep living my life like this. I don't want to hide anymore. I want to go on living my life, the life mom gave her own up to give me." Bella said with tears running down her face.

"Oh my baby girl, of course you are tired of hiding." Katie said as she walked over to Bella and pulled her into a hug.

"Bella do I need to remind you that you were shot seven short weeks ago?" Charlie asked.

"Believe me daddy I remember it all too well." Bella said as she let go of Katie and walked over to Charlie. "Edward says that I have recovered very well and has released me medically to go about my life again. I'm ready to do that daddy."

"Edward won't let you go."

"He won't be happy about it no, but he will not tell me what I can and cannot do."

"Carlisle won't let you go." Charlie said grasping at hope to keep Bella safe.

"Carlisle can go with us and assign a fleet of agents and body guards to protect me."

"Bella please baby...I'm...I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me daddy." Bella says as she pulls Charlie into a hug and buries her head into his chest. "I know that there is a risk going out in public like this, but daddy I can't let him win. And hiding away like this lets him win. And while I'm not crazy about it if I have to live the rest of my life with shadows I will do it if it means I can live my life."

"Why Bella, why now?" Charlie asks as he pulls her closer to him.

"It's been two months since she died daddy. For two months her ashes have been sitting in that box without a proper goodbye. She deserves better than that. She deserves to be at peace finally. It's what she wanted, to be back at the place it all started, back to the place where she was her happiest, back to the place where she first fell in love with you. Please daddy, for her, please help me give her peace finally."

Bella pulls back from him and looks up into his eyes. They both have tears streaking down their faces.

"Of course baby girl. For Renee we'll go to Crisfield." He says as he wipes her tears from her cheeks.

"Thank you daddy." Bella smiles at her father.

"Let me go and talk to Carlisle." He sighs as he kisses Bella's forehead and heads out of the room.

SSES

"No way Bella." Edward says as he paces her bedroom floor. "There is no way in hell that I will let you go to Crisfield."

"Let me Edward?" Bella says with a raise of her eyebrow.

"Yes let you Bella. You cannot go I forbid it." Edward says while looking at her with a determined resolve.

"You know what Edward; you need to get the hell out of my room before either of us says something more stupid than what just came out of your mouth. When you drop the caveman attitude and decide to speak to me like an adult and not a child then we will discuss this further." Bella says before walking over to her door and opening it for him so he can leave.

Edward stands there looking at her for a moment before he falls to his knees. "I'm sorry baby...I shouldn't have said that...it's...just...damn it!" Edward says with a huff before his shoulders hunch over and his head drops down.

Bella looks at him crumble in front of her before she lets out a heavy sigh and walks over to him and kneels down in front of him.

"Look at me please." She says taking his hands into hers.

He hesitates for a moment before looking up at her and meeting her eye to eye.

"I love you Edward." She says as she places her hand on his cheek.

"I love you too Bella." He says as he leans into her hand.

"I know you're scared Edward. To be honest I am too but I can't live my life like this anymore. I can't give him that kind of power, I won't give anyone that kind of power and you know it."

Edward shakes his head yes.

"Besides both of our dads have agreed to this..." she places her hand up as he begins to interrupt her, "...and yes I know that neither of them is happy about it..." Edward tries to say something else but once again she cuts him off, "...and yes I know that neither Jasper nor Emmett like the idea either but in the end it is my decision right?"

"Yes." Edward whispers.

"Thank you." Bella says before she leans in and kisses him gently on the lips.

"I want to go with you." Edward says against her lips.

"I would like that very much." Bella answers him as she looks up into his eyes.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Oh and Edward..."

"Yes baby."

"If you go caveman on me like that again I will kick your ass and you know with all the time I have been spending with Nana I can do it too." She says with a giggle in her voice but a serious look in her eyes.

"Yes ma'am." Edward says before he pulls her into his arms and kisses her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**I have to say Carlisle is so on my sexy list right now!**

**Ooh James is in trouble! **

**A little action, a little fluff, a few tears a little Nana and little caveman Edward. Hope you enjoyed it all. Would love to share your thoughts.**

**Much love and thanks to you all! **


	13. Chapter 13

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**I just have to say thank you and WOW for the response for the last chapter. I am truly humbled by the love given and poured onto this story. I want to welcome all the new readers and say thank you for joining us on this journey. **_

_**It seems like I was not the only one who found Carlisle sexy.**_

_**I want to give a heartfelt Thank You to IrishEyesMasen for recommending this story over on the FB Fanfiction Recommendation website. Such lovely things she had to say!**_

_**For the most part this chapter is a bit fluffy with a little bit of tears mixed in so you may want to have a tissue ready just in case. **_

_**I hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

"And this is my bedroom." Charlie says as he opens the door to his childhood bedroom.

As soon as the door opens and Bella walks into the room tears begin to fall from her eyes .

"Bella baby what's wrong?" Charlie asks as he pulls her into a hug.

"Sage green." Bella says into his chest.

"Yeah it always reminded me of the calm that the ocean gives me so when I was ten I asked ma and pop to paint my room that color."

"Mom came in here didn't she?"

"Yeah she did, a lot actually."

"Every time we moved into a new place the first thing mom did was paint every room sage green. We didn't even begin to unpack or set up the house until it was painted." Bella said as the sobs came to her quicker.

"Renee." Charlie sighed as his own eyes began to mist up.

"She never would say why she did it, just that the color always calmed her. I know now why she did it."

"She would always tell me how much she loved the color of my room."

"Is your bedroom in San Diego this color?" Bella asked her dad as she pulled away from him, looking up into his eyes and wiping the tears off his face as he did the same to her.

"No, the whole house was painted a light beige color."

"I wonder why she picked sage green?"

"I think I may know." Charlie says as he pulls away from their hug, takes Bella's hand and leads her over to sit down on his bed. "But I don't know if it is something that you really want to hear." He says as he looks everywhere but at his daughter.

Bella sits there for a moment and tries to figure out why Charlie is suddenly blushing and refusing to look at her when it dawns on her and she cannot help but giggle.

"Daddy, did you and mom...well...you know...in here?"

"Bella!" Charlie groans and his blush gets deeper.

"Oh come on daddy, you don't have to be embarrassed. I mean it's obvious to me that you and mom you know did it..." She giggled.

"Seriously Bella stop!" Charlie groaned even louder, laying back on the bed and covering his face with his arms.

"I mean I wouldn't be here if you hadn't." Bella said as her giggles became full on laughter. "I already know about Nana and Poppa so it really won't scar me any worse to hear about you and mom."

"Please Bella for the love of your old man's heart, please just stop." Charlie mumbled under his arms.

Bella crawled up the bed so that she was resting by her dad's head and pulled his arms back from his face forcing him to look at her.

"It must have really meant something to her daddy or she wouldn't have painted all of those rooms in order to keep you with her." Bella said to him with all traces of laughter gone from her tone.

"It was really something baby girl." Charlie said with a sigh. "Your mom and I always seemed to dance around the idea of being together as boyfriend and girlfriend during the time she was here. It wasn't until we were sixteen that we finally admitted to each other how much we really liked the other and became more during the summers. We both said that if we met people during the time she wasn't here then we would always be friends, but I never did and I don't believe Renee did either. The last summer she was here before going away to Brown, we both decided to take our relationship further. We were each other's first. It was awkward and clumsy and just perfect in every way." Charlie said with a smile on his face.

"I was in love with her then but never had the courage to tell her. When we lost contact with each other..." Charlie had to stop to control the sudden rage that was building up in thinking of years that Renee was with Paul. "I always regretted never telling her my true feelings and when she showed up on my door step again it was like a gift from the heavens above. I was given a second chance to have the love of my life again." Charlie paused to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Even if it was for only a few months." He whispered the final words.

Bella lay down beside her dad and nuzzled herself in his arms, her head resting on his chest.

"Thank you daddy."

"You're welcome baby girl." Charlie said as he pulled her in closer to his body. "I love you Bella."

"I love you too daddy."

SSES

"Jessup what the fuck do you mean they are refusing to work." Katie yelled at the man twice her size.

"Well Mrs. Katie they are asking for a bigger cut of the haul and are refusing to board the boat until you agree to give them 25% of the cut...each." Jessup said looking down at his feet. Katie Swan may have been a tiny woman but he knew better than to mess with her and he hated that the three men who were supposed to work the _Blue World_ were putting him in the position he was currently in.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Katie screamed as she stepped out of her office to the waiting area where the three men sat waiting for her.

"Well if it isn't Manny, Moe and Jack Fucking Ass in the flesh." Katie said as she came face to face with the three men who were refusing to work. "Let me get this straight, you three have decided that you deserve 75% percent of the haul made from the last boat that is being sent out for the season and the one that is going to be hauling for the shortest amount of time?"

"Well Mrs. Katie..." One of the men named David started to say.

"Oh hell no you do not get to call Mrs. Katie especially since you are trying to fuck me from behind without so much as a kiss or the courtesy of a reach around. You will address me as Mrs. Swan and nothing else. And you will get your asses on those boats and work for the 15% we negotiated and signed a contract for at the beginning of the season. That amount is already two percent higher than anyone else on the docks is paying so if you can find someone else to screw I suggest you go and fuck them instead of me. If not move at supernatural speed to get that boat ready for sailing out today, and you better pray that you have a successful haul or so help me I will forget that I am a Christian woman and rain down a storm of hurt on each and every one of you. ARE WE CLEAR!" Katie screams the final words.

"Yes Mrs. Swan." The three men reply in unison before they get up from their seats, with their heads down and make their way around the tiny anger ball.

"I told you it wouldn't work dick head." One of the men grumbled as he shoved David in the arm.

Katie stood there for a moment trying to regain her composure. "Why did you ever hire those morons Garrett?" She huffed as she straightened out her shirt and smoothed down the seams.

"Well damn Nana." She heard Emmett say from across the room. She turned to see Bella, Edward, Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper standing on the other side of the waiting room, each of them trying to hold back laughter. She had been in such a tiff when she stormed into the room she did not see the six of them sitting there.

"Oh hey there my babies." She said in a voice that was 360 degrees different from the one she had just been using. She walked over to the six of them and pulled them all into a hug.

"What are you guys doing here?" She said with a beaming smile.

"We... uh...well we wanted to see the boats." Emmett said with a slight stutter.

"Of course, let me give you a grand tour." She said as she took Bella's hand and led them out to the docks.

"Nana, is everything ok?" Bella quietly asked her grandmother.

"Of course it is baby girl. Sometimes you have to bust a little ball in order to get these jokers to do their jobs." She said with a comforting pat on Bella's arm.

"Please dear God don't ever let me piss off Nana Swan." Emmett prayed under his breath.

Katie stopped in her tracks and turned on a dime to glare at him. "Emmett don't you dare use a dirty word when talking to the Good Lord."

"Yes ma'am. Sorry God." Emmett said with his head down.

"Much better darling." Katie said with a smile before turning back around and leading the group over to the docks to show them the ropes of blue crab fishing.

It took all of Edward, Jasper and Rose's strength not to double over laughing at the little lashing that Emmett had just gotten.

SSES

"You should have seen Esme the first time she pulled a pot up." Carlisle said with a huge smile on his face.

Charlie, Bella and Nana had been the first to come to Crisfield, with a small entourage of security detail in tow of course. Edward, Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper arrived the next morning and Carlisle and Esme had arrived before dinner. The ten of them were sitting around a picnic table on the back porch of Katie's house with a low country boil set out in front of them. The parents were telling their kids about their times together growing up.

"Poor thing tried so hard to pull up that 200 hundred plus pound pot and in doing so she broke two of her fingers on her right hand." Carlisle said with a grimace as he took the once affected hand into his own and kissed those two fingers.

"Hurt like a mother fu..."

"MOM!" Edward and Emmett both said at the same time interrupting Esme from saying _that_ dirty word.

"What?" Esme said with a smile on her face.

"Don't you listen to them Esme darling. It does hurt like a mother fuck!" Nana said with a mocking glare at the two Cullen boys.

"Anyway, after they taped up my fingers I tried again and was able to pull up three pots on my own after that. Well I guess on my own with a pulley and grapple hook but still that was quiet a feet for a sixteen year old." Esme said with pride.

"Of course it was dear." Carlisle said with his own proud grin.

"Did mom ever help out on the boats?" Bella asked turning to Charlie.

Before he could answer her, Charlie, Carlisle and Esme all looked at each other before busting out laughing.

"You poor mother thought it would be better for her to bait the pots instead of pulling them in, especially after Esme hurt herself. She didn't realize that the bait consisted of slimy fish guts that smelled to high heaven. She managed to get three of them completed before she lost her lunch. She spent the rest of the day hanging over the opposite side of the boat feeding the fishes." Charlie said as he wiped his face from tears of laughter.

"She swore that was the longest day of her life and she never stepped foot on another boat again after that. Carlisle and I tried so hard to get her and Esme to go out into the sound with us in my dad's John boat so we could watch the Fourth of July Fireworks from the water but Renee refused to come. Esme God bless her wouldn't leave Renee by herself so she refused as well. So instead we stood around the mass of tourist and watched them from the pier."

"But she was such a good swimmer." Bella said.

"She was a great swimmer." Charlie said with a smile, "but she was lousy on a boat."

The group laughed for a few more moments before settling to a comfortable silence as they devoured the feast laid out before them.

"I swear Nana this is some of the best shrimp I have eaten." Jasper said as he peeled off the back shell of a huge shrimp before tossing the shell into the heap of other discarded shells and stripped bare corn cobs.

"Mom always loved low country boils." Bella said with a quiet smile. "Until I was old enough to do them myself, mom always found someone to have one. She would offer to clean their house from top to bottom if they would throw one and invite us. Once I could do it on my own we would invite all the neighbors and friends and have a big ole party."

"She was always the first one at the table whenever Garrett and I would have them as well." Nana said in a quiet voice.

The group grew quiet as each one of Renee's family and friends reflected on her life.

"To Renee." Charlie said clearing his voice and raising his beer bottle into the air.

"To Renee." The rest of the group said as they raised their own bottles.

SSES

"It's perfect daddy." Bella said as they stepped out onto one of the camping sites in Janes Island National Park.

"We use to come here a couple of weekends a summer to camp. Ma and Pop would always let us stay here by ourselves while they set up about a half mile back that way." Charlie said as he pointed back behind him.

"There is a pier just up ahead that looks out into the water and Renee always loved to go and sit there and read books while Carlisle and I would go swimming in the water. She once told me it was her favorite place in the world. I think this is where she wanted to go when she told you Crisfield."

"I forgot how beautiful this place was." Esme said as she came and stood beside Bella and Charlie. "I know I didn't come as much as you guys, but I always loved it here. Renee and I would spend hours on the pier just talking about everything."

"You guys were talking about us Esme." Carlisle said with a slight chuckle as he came and put his arm around his wife.

"Maybe." Esme answered him with a smile before laying her head against his chest.

"Are you ready baby girl?" Charlie asked Bella before taking her hand. Bella shook her head yes and the party of ten made their way to a small pier that stood out in the water about twenty feet. The lake that was around them was surrounded by trees giving the group a feeling of total privacy.

"No wonder Renee loved it here so much." Alice commented. "It's so beautiful here."

"Do you want to start this Bella?" Charlie asked.

"I would like to go last if that is ok. Besides I think it would mean more to mom if you went first." Bella answered him.

"Happy too sweetie." Charlie said as he opened the box that held Renee's ashes, taking a hand full and turning to the water.

"You were always the brightest star in my life Nee." Charlie said before pausing to hold in the sob that was threatening to come out. "You were my best friend, my first and only love and you gave me the greatest gift ever given in our Bella. I will always regret never knowing what your life was like all those years and the anger that I held towards you. But I will never ever in all of my life regret you Renee. I forgive the pain your absence caused and I hope you can forgive me for not trying harder to find you and protect you. Thank you for loving me enough to try and save me, thank you for being my best friend and thank you most of all for our Bella. She is the best part of both of us. Good bye my sweet girl." Charlie said before kissing his hand and releasing the ashes that he held.

"I love you Renee." He whispered before wiping his tear stained face.

"Ma." Charlie said as he handed the box of ashes over to his mother for her to do the same.

One by one each of the group said their goodbyes to Renee before releasing a hand full of ashes into the air. The words of those who knew her were filled with love and compassion for the loss of their friend and family member. For those who didn't know her the words were of their appreciation for the life that she gave up to protect Bella and for bringing her into their lives.

Edward stood with his arms wrapped around Bella the whole time the others spoke, giving her strength and love as she watched her friends and family say goodbye to her mother. He only let go of her to say his own goodbye and once he was finished he turned back to her, giving her the remaining ashes.

"There are so many things I want to say to you mom." Bella started.

"Thank you for the life you gave me. I always loved our little adventures even if I didn't always show you that I did. Knowing what I know now they mean even more to me. You sacrificed your whole life for me mom and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. I will miss our talks, I will miss our walks and I will miss the enthusiasm you always had about trying new things, going to new places and living new adventures. I will miss your hugs and kisses. I will miss your carefree mind. I will miss your smile and the way your eyes would light up when I would come into the room." Bella stopped for a moment so she could wipe the tears from her eyes. As she did Charlie walked over to her and took her hand into his own.

"Thank you for loving Charlie and giving me such a wonderful dad." She said as she squeezed Charlie's hand. "Thank you for being friends with Carlisle and Esme and bringing them and their wonderful family into my life. Thank you for being someone one that Nana loved as a daughter and thank you for including Alice and Jasper in our adventures. Thank you for shaping me into the person that I am today and most of all thank you for loving me more than anything else in this world. You are the best mom that I could have ever asked for. I love you mom and I always will." Bella said before a sob escaped her.

"Let it go baby girl." Charlie said as he pulled her into his arms and held her as she let go of all of the grief that she had been holding onto.

Bella stood there in her father's loving arms until she felt a sense of calm take over her. She knew instantly it was Renee's presence.

"Do you feel her daddy?" Bella whispered into her father's chest.

"I do baby girl, I do." Charlie responded as he pulled away from Bella and lifted her face up to meet his own. "It's ok to let her go baby because a part of her will always be with you."

Bella leaned up and kissed her dad on the cheek before turning around and facing the water again.

"Goodbye mama. I love you." Bella said as she turned the box over and emptied out the remaining ashes.

Renee's family stood on the pier surrounding Bella and Charlie, watching as her ashes were carried away in the wind.

For the first time in almost twenty five years, Renee Higgenbotham was at peace.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**_

_**The next chapter will be a blend of action and fluff.**_

_**For the curious a low country boil is typically a mix of potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp and Andouille sausage that are all boiled together in a big pot with Bay seasoning and other spices. The meal is then typically spread out on a newspaper or other plastic sheet on a table and people pick and eat as they want. Other items can be added such as crab, lobster or oysters but the usual are the ones listed above. This is also known as a Frogmore Stew. It is tasty and fun and even better with ice cold beer.**_

_**Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. I really enjoy discussing this story with all of you! **_

_**Much love to you all!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**I apologize for not posting last week. Family medical needs to be taken care of. All is well now though thankfully.**_

_**Hope you enjoy.**_

_**NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration**_

_**NCCR – North Carolina Costal Reserve**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

The day after the memorial service, the group of friends and family slowly began to disband. Carlisle and Emmett needed to get back to work so they could make their next move regarding Paul, James and the McGovern Empire. Rosalie and Esme went back with their husbands to return to their jobs as well. Alice and Jasper were able to stay another day before they too needed to get back to their lives in Richmond.

Bella had gotten a call from Alex Stephenson with NOAA asking her if she had been medically released to go diving again. After some debate and a friendly exam it was decided that Bella could snorkel but that her body was not strong enough yet to handle the pressure of a scuba dive.

Alex seemed pleased with that report and asked Bella if she could assist NOAA and the NCCR with a quick project documenting tidal pools and sediment changes in a protected area on Masonboro Island Reserve. This of course pleased Bella to no end because Masonboro Island was a short drive from her home in Wilmington, North Carolina and she was eager to check on her place and to show both Edward and her dad where she called home.

Edward had been given two weeks off from work, with a little persuasion from Carlisle he was sure and he was all too happy to go with Bella, as was Charlie.

They said their goodbyes to Katie who was going to stay in Crisfield to finish out the busy two week period in late June as the blue crab season was at its peak. She was going to meet back up with the family in DC once the season was over with and Bella, Charlie and Edward had finished their time in Wilmington.

Even with the ever present protection detail with her at every move, Bella began to feel a sense of normalcy returning to her life again.

SSES

"And this is my studio." Bella said as she opened the door to the last room on the tour of the house that doubled as her place of business. "Over there is the editing equipment I use and that closet over there has been turned into my dark room."

"Bella, these are amazing." Edward said as he walked over to look at the photos Bella had on the walls of her studio. "The colors are so vibrant and alive; it almost feels like I am there in the water with you."

"That one you are looking at now is one of my all-time favorites." Bella said as she walked over to where Edward was admiring a picture of a sleek looking shark against the back drop of wreckage.

"What kind of shark is that?" Charlie asked walking up beside them as well.

"It's a blacktip shark. They are the largest shark population off the coast of North Carolina."

"Is that a wrecked ship?" Edward asked.

"It is. It's the Queen Anne's Revenge." Bella said with a huge smile on her face.

"Wasn't that Blackbeard's boat?"

"It was. He purposely grounded the ship in what is now known as the Beaufort Inlet. It was believed that he did it in order to get rid of the crew he was working with at that time. Many of his men died fighting the British Royal Navy and some it is believed died by Blackbeard's own hand. He was captured not far from where the ship was grounded. It was one of the first jobs that I did for National Geographic magazine and is by far and away my favorite shipwreck so far."

"Have you been to a lot of shipwrecks?" Charlie asked her.

"I have filmed or photographed over thirty different shipwrecks. Most of them have been off the coast of North Carolina."

"Have there been that many wrecks off of North Carolina?"

"It is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. It is the rocky terrain and the way the islands and sounds jute out which caused so many problems. There are even a few submarines down there as well. Most of them are true wrecks but some of them have been ships that have been sunk on purpose to create artificial reefs. I have even been to one that was an old school bus."

"That is so cool." Edward said.

"Once I am cleared to go back to diving and can get you both certified I'll take you to some of the sites. They really are something else to see up close and in person. The way the water and sea life begin to take them over and make a new world is amazing. One of those things that makes you stop and appreciate what is before you." Bella said.

"I look forward to that." Both Charlie and Edward said at the same time.

"Are you guy's hungry? We can head over to Oceanic and eat out on the pier."

"That sounds great." Charlie says.

Both Charlie and Edward are out of the door of the studio and making their way down the hall when they hear a small gasp coming from behind them. They turn quickly to see Bella standing almost frozen in the doorway. Her gaze seems too focused on one thing and one thing only and there are tears rolling down her face.

"Bella baby what is it?" Edward asks moving back to her side.

"Mom's treasure box." She whispers.

"What are you..." Charlie asks as he turns his attention to what Bella is looking at. "...is that what I think it is?"

"It's the box you made for mom for her sixteenth birthday. She made sure it was always right beside her whenever we moved."

"When did she give it to you?" Charlie asked.

"She didn't daddy. It wasn't here the last time I was." Bella said. "It's...that's where I found the money." Bella finished in a whisper.

Charlie shook his head slightly before walking over to the box and carefully opening the lid. Just as he suspected inside the ornate wooden box were large stacks of hundred dollar bills.

"Is it..." Bella began to ask as Charlie shakes his head yes.

"She was here..." Charlie began.

"...before she died." Bella finished for him.

As Charlie looked further into the box he noticed a small piece of paper and recognized Renee's handwriting.

_I promise someday soon this will all make sense baby girl. Love your daddy like I did. He is a good man and will be there for you no matter what. I love you Isabella. I always have and always will. _

Charlie read the note out loud before handing it to Bella. Edward wrapped his arms around her and brought her head into his chest.

"How much do you think is there?" Edward asked.

"It's hard to tell but I would guess at least a million." Charlie answered.

"I don't want it." Bella said.

"Baby your mom wanted you to have it; she wanted to make sure you were ok." Charlie said turning to look at her.

"She did that daddy by bringing us together. I am doing just fine on my own. I don't need it and most of all I don't want it. I don't want anything to do with that bastard, his life or the hell he put mama through." Bella said her voice growing louder and louder as she spoke.

"Alright baby girl." Charlie said. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"I don't care daddy. Give it to Carlisle as evidence, give it some charity, give it to one of the other families that McGovern has destroyed, burn it for all I care but just...just make it go away." Bella said before turning her head back into Edward's chest and hiding herself away from another reminder of the pain her mother lived through.

Charlie walked over and kissed the back of Bella's head before closing the lid on the box and taking it out of the room. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Carlisle's number.

"It's gone baby." Edward said as he gently rubbed his hand in soothing circles on the small of her back.

"When is he going to be out of our lives?" Bella whispered.

"Soon baby girl, soon." Edward answered her before he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

SSES

After Charlie's phone call to Carlisle it was decided that the money would be turned in to the FBI headquarters as part of the investigation into the McGovern crime family. Charlie took the money out of the box and placed it in a brown paper bag which he buried at the bottom of his suitcase. Bella told him she didn't want the box and knew that Renee would have wanted him to keep it.

The rest of the night the three of them tried to put the money out of their minds for the time being. They shared plates of fried seafood, hush puppies and coleslaw while sitting out on the pier at the Oceanic restaurant, drinking beers, watching the seagulls swoop down to steal food off plates and listening to the soothing sounds of breaking waves.

SSES

Edward knew that he was supposed to be enjoying the fish around him as he and Bella snorkeled in the waters right off of Masonboro Island. She had shown him pictures of amberjacks, porgy's and butterfly rays amongst other species of water life that they would see. Now that they were in the water she pointed out the different fish as they encounter them, but Edward could not bring himself to give more than a cursory glance in the direction that she was pointing. All of his attention was instead given to the beauty that moved in front of him. The way her body moved fluidly in the water was both graceful and sensual at the same time. Her hair flowed around her picking up the bands of light that filtered into the water. The muscles of her legs rippled as she used them to move her forward. Her slender arms stroked through the blue green water with a delicate determination. She was like a work of art, a ballerina and a dolphin all in one.

It was her eyes though that had him totally mesmerized. Even hidden behind the snorkeling mask he could see a gleam in her eyes that he had not seen the whole time he had known her. The way she examined something before taking her camera in her hand and taking a picture, the way she excitedly showed him one of the fishes or pointed out a mollusk as it moved along the sandy floor, this was Bella at her happiest. She was in her element, she was thriving, she was happy. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life.

"Oh my goodness Edward did you see that loggerhead?" Bella asked him excitedly as she popped back up above the water.

"I did baby." Edward answered her as he moved closer to her.

"That's the closest I have ever come to one. She wasn't very big, probably only about ten years old but she was beautiful." Bella said with a huge grin on her face.

"Did you get a picture of her?"

"I did, several actually. I wonder if she was one of the ones who dug one of the nests Shelly was telling us they found this morning?"

Before they had begun their exploration of the water, Bella and Edward had spent a couple of hours on the beach on Masonboro Island. They had met up with Shelly Cope who worked with the NCCR so that Bella could get the pictures that she needed of the tidal pools on the island. While Bella was taking pictures and recording the information that was needed, Shelly was telling the couple about several loggerhead turtle nest that had been found that morning.

"That would be very cool if she was." Edward said as he swam over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you baby." Bella said as she kissed his salty lips.

"For what pretty girl."

"For all of this. For clearing me to be back in the water. For coming with me, for sharing this experience with me. It means so much to me to have you here with me, for you to be a part of my water world."

"You love it here don't you, being in the water like this?"

"I do Edward, I really do. The way the water envelopes my body like a lover would. The feel of it as it caress my skin, the colors of everything around me. The way the sunlight filters through in little beams and the life that is all around me. It's like nothing else on this earth to me and today it is even better because I got to share it with you."

"I love you Bella, so much."

"I love you too Edward." She said as she kissed him softly on the lips again.

"Come on my little mermaid, you've been in the water for almost two hours now. You need to take a break and rest a little."

"But..." Bella said as she threw her bottom lip out in a pout.

"No buts Isabella. I told you I would release you for snorkeling but no more than two hours at a time. You have been very active all day and it's time to take a break. Besides, I'm sure Charlie is going crazy back in the boat waiting for us to come back."

"You are as bad as he is you know that right." Bella said with a huff as she tried to pull away from Edward's arms. "I know Paul has seemed to get close to me in the most unlikely of places, but I highly doubt he would swim up to me in the middle of the ocean and try to take me."

"Bella we are just worried about you." Edward said as he closed his arms around her tighter.

"I know that Edward, but this is my sanctuary. The one place that I have always felt like I was home and safe. Having all of the extra security here takes that away from me."

"We know that baby, which is why it is just you and I in the water. Yes your father and five FBI agents are in two boats that have never been more than sixty yards away from us and yes you are wearing a GPS tracking device on your wrist." He says as he pulls her hand to his lips and kisses her wrist just above the device he was talking about. "But baby you have to remember, we watched someone try and take you in broad daylight not more than fifty feet away from us and then we watched as that same son of a bitch shot you point blank in the chest. We just got you in our lives Bella, neither your dad nor I are ready to lose you. It was too close last time, too close to take any chances again. We love you too much baby girl." Edward said as his eyes pleaded with her to understand.

"You're right sweetie. Thank you for looking out for me the way you do. Now let's go put Charlie's worried mind at ease." Bella says as she kisses him gently on the lips before taking his hand and swimming back towards the boat Charlie was waiting not so patiently on.

SSES

"Whose house is this again?" Edward asks as he watches the FBI agents sweep the place before allowing them to enter.

"His name is Nate Blackfoot. He was our neighbor when we lived in Beaufort. His son was going to school here in Wilmington and Nate bought this little cottage so he would have a place to live and a place where Nate and his wife could come and stay when they visited him. When he graduated they just held on to the place to rent out during the summer. The Blackfoot's are one of the few people that we kept in touch with over the years and when he found out I was living in Wilmington he gave me a key to this little beach house and told me I could use it whenever I wanted to." Bella said as she smiled at the agent who gave her the all clear to walk into the house.

She walked into the kitchen and placed the grocery bags down on the counter.

"I thought it would be nice if we could spend the evening here, you know have a little cook out with the ocean as our backdrop. Fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing and just hang out."

Charlie had decided to stay back at Bella's house giving her and Edward the night to be alone together.

"I think it's perfect." Edward said as he pulled Bella into his embrace and kissed her.

"You go and get the grill going while I work on the steaks and corn." Bella said as she tried to catch her breath from Edward's kiss.

"Anything for you my love." Edward said with a smirk on his face.

The two of them spent the evening sharing a dinner of steaks, corn and salad and a dessert of grilled peaches, pound cake and homemade vanilla ice cream. They walked on the beach hand in hand talking about Bella's different diving trips and planning the places they would go together once Edward was certified for diving himself. They watched the sun set over the waterway with the ocean behind them and curled up with one another in the hammock on the back porch and listened to the waves.

"Edward can I ask you a question?" Bella asked as lifted her head that was lying on his chest to look him in the eyes.

"Anything baby."

"What else have I been released for?"

Edward looked at her for a moment, the light of the full moon shinning down on her making her features look angelic, unsure of what she was asking.

"I mean what other activities is it ok for me to engage in?"

"Activities?" Edward asked still a bit bewildered.

Bella lifted her body so that she was straddling him on the hammock. She leaned down and slowly kissed his lips before moving her lips towards his ear.

"Sexual activities." Bella whispered into his ear before taking his lobe in her mouth.

"Bella." Edward moaned out at the warm sensation her lips were sending throughout his body.

She sat back up so that she could see his face.

"Are you sure baby?" Edward asked her.

"I have never been surer of anything in my life Edward." She said as she slowly slides off of him, standing beside the hammock and taking his hand to lead him to the bedroom.

They made love that night several times with the light of the moon streaming into the open French doors in the small upstairs bedroom and the ocean serenading their union.

FBI agents stood outside of the house keeping them safe while they shared their whole selves with each other.

SSES

James opened the door to the brownstone that he had been staying in while trying to avoid Paul. He knew that sooner than later he would have to confront the man who he had once considered a brother but for now he needed to make sure everything was in place before he did. He knew that eventual meeting would more than likely end in the death of one of the two men and he was pretty certain it would be Paul.

James had the backing of four of the original family members and that made him feel rather impenetrable.

He had just placed his gun on the kitchen island and walked over to the fridge to get a beer out when the light in his dining room came on.

James looked up with a start, shocked to see Paul sitting at the table.

"James." Paul said with calm face.

"Paul." James returned while darting his eyes quickly to the counter to where his gun lay. He was trying to figure out how quickly he could get to his piece.

"I'm shocked really that you would so carelessly place your piece on the counter like that." Paul said as he stood up and walked towards James. "I thought dad taught you better than that." He said as he pushed past James to the fridge and got out his own beer. He twisted the cap off of the Yuengling and took a draw off the bottle before he returned his attention back to James.

"Avoiding me are you?" Paul asked.

"Biding my time." James answered him. James tried to calm his nerves. Paul did not have his gun drawn and James felt he had a good chance of reaching his piece before Paul could do so. The thing that bothered him was the fact Paul had positioned himself so that he was standing between James and his gun.

"For what exactly?" Paul asked before taking another sip of his beer.

"For you to either get Isabella or for them to get you." James said. He knew that if he mentioned the girl Paul was obsessing over it would rattle him enough so that James could get the advantage again.

"Well then it seems like we are both biding our time then." Paul said as he placed the beer bottle down on the counter before pushing his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the counter once again. "It seems that there are all of these annoyances and distractions that are trying to keep me from getting what is mine. So I have decided that I will bid my time until they are corrected."

"She's not yours to take Paul." James said trying to get to the man.

"Of course she's mine." Paul snapped at James.

James' hope of this being what he needed to unnerve Paul was quieted when Paul took a deep breath; put his hands back into his pockets and leaned back onto the counter.

"At this moment I cannot decide who pisses me off the most. Cullen and his pussy son for keeping Isabella from me or you for trying to take my family from me."

"I would think that it was Cullen and his son. It seems to me that the little cunt is more important to you than your family." James said knowing the use of that word would set Paul off.

"Fuck you James!" Paul screamed.

James was correct. A look of pure hatred took over Paul's face as he lunged at James. Sensing what he was going to do, James moved in the other direction and was able to get to his gun. He pulled the revolver up ready to fire at Paul only to be met with a searing pain ripping through his shoulder causing him to drop his gun.

"Thought you could play me didn't you." Paul said as he held the smoking gun steady in his hand.

"I loved you like a brother James. My father took you in off the streets and raised you as one of his own and this is how you repay him." Paul said.

James tried to stand up straight but the pain in his arm was beginning to be too much.

"Imagine my surprise when that bastard Cullen showed up at _my_ warehouse and destroyed it. I called for you James, called for you to come and help me like you had in the past but you were nowhere to be found." Paul said as he leaned over, picked up his beer bottle and took another sip. Never once did he lower his gun or did his demeanor waver.

"And where was my best friend? Why it turns out he was trying to take something very precious away from me. Imagine the anger that I felt, imagine the pain that that caused me."

"You were destroying everything your father had built up for a piece of pussy." James spat at him.

"So many mistakes you made James. Isabella is not just a piece of pussy, she is my future. She is the future of this family. With her by my side there is nothing I cannot do and I will do it all."

"Your fucking delusional." James said. He was beginning to feel lightheaded but he refused to give up. His eyes began to wander the floor looking for his gun.

"The only fucking delusional person in this room is you James." Paul said. "You thought you could take away those loyal to my father my feeding them lies about me. You thought you could have Cullen take me down so you could step in my place."

"They were not lies. You are a stupid man who thought he could have whatever he wanted. Renee made it twenty years without you finding her. I bet your father could have found her in half that time. And I know that Peter could have found her in less than a year." James was desperate now, throwing his father and Peter's name into the mix.

"FUCK YOU!" Paul screamed as he pulled the trigger with a shaking hand.

James was able to duck the shot and fall towards his own gun on the floor. He pulled the piece up and began to shoot towards Paul whose figure was drawing closer to him.

"Fuck!" He heard Paul grunt followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. James laid there for a moment not moving. He was listening for the sound of movement on the other side of the kitchen island. The pain in his arm was beginning to dull as the loss of blood continued. He knew he needed to get help but he wasn't ready to move just yet. He laid there for another few minutes before pulling himself up off the floor. He stood as best he could, leaning up against the counter, pulling himself to an almost upright position when something caught his eye.

"Not even so much as a scratch James." Paul said with a smirk before pulling the trigger of his gun. James only had a second to react before the bullet pierced his head.

Paul stood there calmly and watched as James' body fell to the floor in a heap. He walked over to his once best friend, leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"See you in hell brother." He whispered before standing up, straightening out his shirt, stepping over James' body and walking out the door.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**_

_**So yeah, bet ya didn't see that one coming. Can't wait to hear what you think. **_

_**I wanted to show Bella and Edward moving their relationship forward in the story but I didn't want it to become a big part of this particular story. I love a good lemon just as much as the next person, but I think for this story, it needed to be less is more. Hope you don't mind.**_

_**Much love to you all for the support, reviews, recs and all that great jazz. My readers are the best! **_


	15. Chapter 15

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_*******Important note about the next couple of chapters: Things are about to heat way up. These next four chapters will be quick, full of action, drama and cliffies. I will post them much quicker than the normal weekly (ok so I apologize for not being great at that lately either). I am going to try for one a day but make no promises other than I will do my very best to have them out quickly. Hope you enjoy the change of pace.*******_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

"Bella?" Edward asks as they lay sleepily in the hammock on the porch at Nate Blackfoot's beach house. They had spent the day on the beach and playing in the water and now they rested their sun soaked bodies in the shade of the screened in porch with a ceiling fan keeping them cool.

"Hmm?" Bella answered him.

"When is your next assignment?"

Bella lifted her head from Edward's chest, resting her chin there instead so she could look into his face.

"When I spoke with Alex the other day he said he had a new project that he wanted to discuss with me when I got back to DC and I still have to finish editing the piece I was working on before...before everything happened."

"What about after that?"

"I'm not sure. I'm contracted with NOAA for another six months so I guess it just depends on what they need next."

"Will you be staying in DC for the next six months?" Edward asked.

"For the most part I will be. I guess it all depends on what or where they need me to go and of course on what happens with McGovern."

Edward nodded his head and then turned his eyes towards the ceiling fan. Bella could tell that he was lost in his thoughts.

"What is it baby?" She asked him as she straddled his body and leaned over him so his eyes met hers again.

"Where do you see yourself in six months?" He finally asked her after letting out a deep sigh.

"Is this a job interview?" She asked trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Edward chuckled at Bella and pulled her into his chest. She laid her head back down on his chest, reveling in the feel of their naked skin against the other.

"If I tell you the truth will it scare you?" Bella asked.

"There's only one thing that you could say Bella that would scare me." He answered.

"I see myself with you Edward."

Bella could feel the tension that had taken over his body leave him as he pulled her in closer to him and kissed the top of her head.

"That definitely does not scare me baby. In fact it makes me the happiest man in the world."

Bella lifted up and placed her hands down on the hammock beside Edward's head, holding herself up so that she could look into his eyes once again.

"I know that there are things that will have to be worked out and discussed in the long run and truth be told I look forward to those decisions and discussions. I want you to know that you are the one I want Edward. You are the one I see myself with six months from now, six years from now and hopefully six decades from now. I love you Edward, with all that I am."

"I love you too Bella."

"But for now I just want to enjoy this, you and I together in the gooey bliss of new love and a new relationship. I want us to have meaningless conversations that mean the world, I want us to hump like bunnies and learn the tells of each moan and groan that we make. I want to fall asleep in your arms and wake up with your hair tickling my chin, all the while knowing that we both want to do so for the rest of our lives."

"God that sounds like heaven to me baby." Edward said before he pulled Bella down and kissed her with all of the passion her words had inspired in him.

SSES

Emmett pulled up in front of the police tape and blue lights surrounding a generic looking brownstone. He was given very little information when he was called to this particular crime scene but the feeling of dread that filled him grew and grew as he got closer to his destination and now as he sat in his car the feeling was almost more than he could stand.

"Agent Cullen thank you for coming." The detective greeted Emmett once he made his way into the house. "I was told our vic may be of interest to you." The man said as he led Emmett into the kitchen.

"Name?" Emmett asked as he stared down at the black body bag.

"His driver's license says his name is James Spencer." The detective answered him as he pulled back the zipper on the bag to reveal James' body. "GSW to the head and shoulder."

"Fuck." Emmett whispered to himself.

"We have begun dusting for prints sir but as you know..." The detective began.

"If you find any prints, neither of them will register as the vics or the perps." Emmett said as he leaned down and picked up James' hand and extended his finger.

The detective stared at Emmett for a moment before leaning down and examining the finger he held up closer.

"No fingerprints." He said in confusion.

"Helps to hide your crimes." Emmett says as he drops James' hand in disgust.

"Who is he?" The detective asks as Emmett begins to pull his phone out of his pocket.

"The wrong dead man." He says before giving his attention to the person answering the other end of his call.

"Dad, James' is dead."

SSES

Esme was pulling a loaf of bread out of the oven thinking about how she wished Bella was there to talk with when she heard a loud crash coming from Carlisle's office.

"Fuck!" She heard him scream as she approached the door. She gasped when she opened it finding Carlisle throwing things off of his desk onto the floor around him then slamming his fists down on the desk.

"Carlisle?" She timidly asks him. "What is it...oh God...did...did something happen to Edward or Bella?" She asked as she rushed over to him and turned him towards her.

Carlisle stood there for a moment trying to gather himself, trying to let the anger that was consuming him die down a bit before he answered his wife.

"They are both ok Esme, it's something else, not a big deal." He said as he patted her shoulder and made to walk past her to clean up the mess he had made.

"Bullshit Carlisle." Esme said grabbing his arm and making him look at her. "Now tell me what made you destroy your office like this and don't you dare think of lying to me."

"I fucked everything up Esme, everything. James Spencer is dead."

"Paul?"

"Chances are very good it was him."

"Then how is this something that you fucked up?"

"Because I set all of this in motion. I underestimated Paul. I thought he would go crazy and go after James once I told him what he was doing but I thought James would be the one to win that argument. I thought...I mean...I wanted..."

"James to kill Paul."

"Yes." Carlisle whispered before he pulled away from Esme and plopped down into his chair, his head between his hands.

"I took an oath to protect, to do no harm. I was raised to value human life but so help me God Esme I want that man dead more than anything else. I put all of these things into motion, got caught up in the game of revenge, anger and pain all to take a man's life. I'm no better than they are. A monster, just like them."

"That's utter bullshit!" Esme said as she walked over and knelt down in front of Carlisle, pulling his hands away from his face. "You are not a monster Carlisle, you are a strong man who takes his oath seriously but you are also a human man who is fallible. But above all else you are a father who loves his children more than anything else in life. You love your family and want to protect them at all costs."

"But a man is dead Esme."

"A man who was playing the same game you were Carlisle but for very different reasons. Don't you think James was trying for the same outcome with the crap he was feeding you with Jacob? He did what he did to get you to bring down Paul in whatever way possible so he could take over. His motivations were greed and a need for power; yours were to protect the people you love. James played the game and he lost, lost because he too underestimated Paul not because of something you did."

Carlisle sat there looking into the eyes of the woman he loved with all of his heart, taking her words into his soul.

"I need to end this Esme."

"You do baby, and you will." She said before standing up and kissing him gently on the lips. "Now let's clean this mess up. Then we are going to call Edward and get our children to come back home."

SSES

"James Spencer is dead." Thomas O'Malley said as he sat down at the table where Malcolm Greene, Richard Hurley and Davidson Greer were already sitting.

The men had gathered at the warehouse where they had been meeting James on a daily basis to discuss his efforts to take over the McGovern family.

"Paul?" Davidson asked.

"Yes." Thomas replied.

"Now what?" Malcolm asked.

"Now you gentlemen have two decisions to make..." Paul began as he entered the room and took James' seat at the table. "Do you want to earn my forgiveness for your disloyalty..." he said before laying the hand holding his gun down on the table "...and do you prefer heart or head."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **_

_**Chapter Sixteen is already written and will be posted tomorrow. Would love to know what you think.**_

_**Much love and many thanks to you all! **_


	16. Chapter 16

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

"Absolutely not Bella." Charlie said adamantly. "There is no way you are going to that meeting tomorrow."

Charlie, Bella, Edward and Katie had been back at the Cullen house for the past week. Carlisle, Emmett and his men were working on their case against Paul and the McGovern family with the help of Jacob's information and the information of a few of the lower level men who did not want to be involved in the brewing war. The FBI was close to ending the crime family but there were a few things that needed to be finished before they could go in and make sweeping arrest. For his part Paul had more or less been in hiding.

"Daddy, I refuse to stay a prisoner in this house anymore." Bella responded.

"It will not be much longer baby girl. Carlisle and his men are really close to getting them. Just please let them do their job and then you will be free."

"What about my job dad? What about my life? I have a contract with NOAA, one that they have been very good about giving me leeway on but I don't know how much longer that will last."

"You have a very good reason to break that contract right now Bella." Edward added. He had remained quiet for most of the argument that had been going on between Bella and Charlie. He hated the idea of her going anywhere right now with Paul being out there but he knew Bella's stubborn side and he didn't want to make her any madder then she already was.

"Not you to." Bella huffed before throwing her hands up in the air.

"I just want you to be safe sweetie." Edward answered her.

"I appreciate that Edward, I really do because I want the same thing for you but you don't see me refusing to let you go to work now do you?"

"Bella it's different for me..."

"Bullshit Edward. You were attacked just like I was. It may have been Jasper who was hit by that bullet but it was intended for you. McGovern is after you just as much as he is me but yet you have been to work every day since we returned home."

Bella stood there in front of Edward with her hands on hips daring him to try and counter that argument.

Knowing he had nothing to come back with, Edward hung his head down.

"I'm scared Bella, scared of losing you." He whispered.

"Oh Edward." Bella says as she walks over to him and pulls his chin up with her fingers so she can see his eyes and he can see hers. "I'm scared too. I worry about you from the moment you walk out that door until you come back to me that something is going to happen to you, but I let you go without a fight. I hate what this is doing to us, the way in which it is limiting the kind of life that we can lead, but I refuse to let him win by hiding away. I have full faith in your dad that this will all be over soon, but Edward it has been going on for far too long as it is and I want my life back, I want our life to really begin."

Edward nodded his head slightly giving Bella a small smile before pulling her into his arms and holding onto her tightly.

"NO!" Charlie huffed. "No fucking way Isabella Swan. There is no way you are going to that meeting."

"Damn it Charlie, did you not hear a word your daughter just said." Katie said as she walked into the room. The three of them had not seen her standing in the doorway listening to their conversation.

"I heard every damn word she said Ma but they don't matter right now." Charlie yelled, his ire now directed at his tiny mother.

"Are you really going to stand there and tell Bella her wishes and words do not matter to you? That you think that little of her." Katie yelled back at him.

"That's not what I meant and you know that." Charlie huffed. "If she didn't mean anything to me I would be more than happy to let her run all over DC. She's my daughter Ma, the love of my life that I have only been given recently. I came close to losing her one time already and I will not stand idly by and allow her to put herself in that situation again." Charlie yelled before he stormed out of the room.

Bella began to pull out of Edward's arms to go after Charlie when he stopped her.

"Let me go my love. I understand better than anyone what he is going through right now. I'll talk to him." He said before kissing her gently on the lips.

SSES

"How can you just stand there so calmly?" Charlie huffed at Edward as soon as he caught up with him pacing out in the garden. "How can you agree to any of this?"

"I'm not calm in any way shape or form Charlie and I don't agree with her going at all, but what the hell am I supposed to do or say? I can tell her my thoughts on the matter but I can't tell her what she can or cannot do."

"Well I can." Charlie said as he pushed past Edward making his way back to the house. "I'm her father damn it and I can tell her what she can and cannot do. I can make her stay put until this is all over."

"You will lose her Charlie." Edward said, his words freezing Charlie in his tracks. "If you force something on her like that she will go against you anyway and never forgive you for it. You'll lose her, possibly forever."

"You don't know that." Charlie answered.

"I do and so do you."

"Yeah I do." Charlie whispered as he walked over to a nearby bench and slumped down on to it.

"Believe me Charlie, there is nothing I want more than to go and find some tower that I can lock her away in until that fucker is twenty feet under but she would hate me for doing it, just like she would hate you." Edward says as he takes the seat next to him. "Bella is so damn stubborn and strong willed that it drives me crazy but at the same time they are two of the things I love the most about her."

"She gets that from Renee." Charlie whispers.

"Oh I think she gets a bit of it from your side of the family as well." Edward says as he nudges Charlie on the arm.

Charlie looks up at him and cannot help the smile that plays on his face.

"Yeah Ma is a handful." Charlie chuckles.

"That she is Charlie, that she is. But so are you."

The men sit there quietly for bit, just letting the summer breeze blow over them, taking their frustrations with them.

"Charlie." Edward says breaking the quiet.

"Yeah?"

"How are your surveillance skills?"

"Why?"

"I know that Bella will have her security team with her, but it wouldn't hurt to have two extra sets of eyes watching from a distance would it?"

"An unknown distance?"

Edward looked up at Charlie gave him a grin and shrugged his shoulders.

"I knew I liked you for a reason kid."

SSES

The next day Carlisle and Emmett were at FBI headquarters getting more information from Jacob about Paul and the rest of the McGovern family. The three men were standing in front of a board that had pictures of men and buildings pinned on to it while Jacob gave them details about the things he had witnessed or overheard in his years of working for Paul.

"That is Vinnie..." Jacob was saying when his phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and nearly dropped the phone when he saw the name on the display.

"It's Paul." He choked out.

"Put it on speaker." Carlisle said.

"Hello." Jacob said.

"Jake man I need you." Paul said in a hurried voice.

"What...what do you need?"

"I've been shot asshole...I...need...damn it...Jake there is...there is so much blood. I need...I need you here now." Paul stuttered out with labored breathes.

Jacob looked up at Carlisle who shook his head yes.

"Where do you need me?"

"The warehouse on 16th."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Hurry man...please." Paul begged before the line dropped.

"Get Rose in here now Emmett, we need to be ready to roll in less than ten." Carlisle said as he picked up his own phone.

"Jenkins, I need a five man crew, a surveillance van and a car ready to go in five minutes." Carlisle barked into the phone.

Jacob stood there watching the commotion going on around him trying to figure out just what the hell was about to happen.

"Here is how this is going to play out Jacob. You are going to go into that warehouse and treat Paul, get him talking about what happened to him. You are not only going to be wired but we are going to have a pin camera on you so we can record everything. We will be outside watching everything Jacob. You will have a two way so we can talk to you the whole time."

Rose came into the room and began outfitting Jacob with a wire and a pin camera. Once all systems were checked and double checked to make sure everything was working properly, they made their way downstairs to where the van and car were waiting for them. Emmett, Carlisle and Rose got into the van with two other agents, while three others got into the car and they followed Jacob in his car to the warehouse.

"Jacob man you will be fine, you can do this." Emmett repeated to him over and over again trying to keep him calm.

Jacob stood outside of the warehouse trying to gather his wits about him. He knew that Carlisle, Emmett and five other agents were just a block away from him but that did nothing to squelch the fear that was coursing throughout his body.

"Paul." Jacob called out as he walked into the warehouse. There were no lights on in the warehouse, the sunlight coming in from the windows the only thing that gave him guidance as he made his way back towards the office he knew Paul occupied.

"Hello." He called out again only to be answered by the echo of his own voice.

"God it smells like death in here." Jacob remarks more to himself than the others.

"Something feels wrong." Carlisle said to Emmett as they watched Jacob make his way through the darkened maze of the warehouse.

"Jacob man do you see or hear anything?" Emmett asked him.

"No." Jacob muttered to himself so that it would not be heard if someone was in there listening to him.

Jacob approached the office door and as he opened it the image on the screen in the van began to go fuzzy.

"Jacob." Emmett called but got no response.

"What's wrong Rose?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not sure Carlisle; everything was working fine until he opened the door to that office. It's like everything is being scrambled."

"Something's not right dad, we got to get him out of there. Jacob man, answer me." Emmett yelled into the microphone.

The image on the screen was coming in and out, somewhat scrambled at times and then it would go clear.

"Get in there now." Carlisle barked to the driver of the van to move in closer to the warehouse.

Just as the van pulled up across the street from the warehouse the image on the screen became clear and they could see several dead bodies lying up against the wall. Carlisle recognized them immediately as being the men who had been giving him information and those of the four men who had been working with James' to take over the McGovern family.

"It's a trap. Jacob get the fuck out of there now." Emmett yelled as he and Carlisle rushed out of the van running towards the warehouse.

Just as they approached the sidewalk the building exploded.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Chapter Seventeen will be posted tomorrow.**_

_**Thanks and much love! **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**Sorry for posting later in the evening.**_

_**This chapter takes place at the same time as the end of the previous chapter.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

"We should be clear to head out in a moment ma'am." Agent Smith says to Bella. They are waiting in their car in the parking deck for the all clear from the other agents accompanying them to Bella's meeting at the NOAA offices.

"Thanks." Bella answers him as she double checks her bag one more time to make sure she has everything she needs for her meeting with Alex.

Bella hears a faint noise coming from the ear of one of the agents before he turns to her with a smile.

"All clear." He nods.

As Bella steps out of the car her phone begins to ring.

"Hey Alex." She answers as she sees the familiar name flash on her screen.

"Yeah we are in the parking deck now, should be up there in a..."

Just as Bella is about to finish her sentence a car a few feet behind them explodes, knocking her and all of the agents down onto the concrete.

"Ma'am are you alright?" Agent Smith asks Bella as he recovers and rushes over to her.

Bella lifts her head and looks around her trying to get her bearings back. She sees the agents jump up from the ground, guns drawn looking all around her. Agent Smith is in front of her talking but she cannot seem to hear what he is saying because her ears are ringing from the sound of the explosion.

"Bella are you ok?" Agents Smith shouts at her.

"I think so." Bella finally says when the ringing begins to lessen a bit. Her body hurts overall from the impact of being knocked down on the ground but there isn't any place that hurts more than another.

"I need to get you out of here Bella, can you move on your own?"

"I think so." Bella says as she begins to stand up.

"What happened?" She says looking in the direction of the burning car.

"Car explosion. That's all we know right now so we need to get you out of..."

As he speaks the sound of gun shots ring out all around them.

"Get down!" Agent Smith yells out as he covers Bella with his body and begins to move her towards safety.

The agents around her follow them looking for the direction that the shots are coming from. The echo of the shots ringing out around her cause the ringing in her ears to grow in volume. She hears different voices around her yelling and screaming and she swears she hears the sound of Edward's voice calling out to her.

"Damn it, where the hell is that coming from?" Agent Smith yells to those around him as he moves them behind a car that is parked close to the elevator doors.

"Bella I have to get you out of here. I'm going to try and get to the elevator to get us to the lobby and outside in the open with others." Agent Smith says as he looks around.

"Williamson, I am going for the door, cover me."

"Yes sir." The other agent answers him back as he makes his way over to the where they are hiding. He takes over Smith's position protecting Bella.

Smith pushes the button for the elevator and pulls himself into a protect stance waiting for the doors to open. When the elevator arrives he takes a quick scan inside to see an empty car and signals for Williamson to bring Bella over.

Just as the doors are beginning to close Bella sees both Edward and Charlie running towards her.

"Wait. Edward! Daddy!" She says as the doors close. "We have to let them in."

"Bella it's too risky to open the door again." Agent Smith says.

"Damn it, that's my father and boyfriend out there, open the fucking door." Bella screams as the elevator begins to move.

"Please calm down ma'am." Agent Williamson says.

"No we have to go back, they could be hurt." Bella yells again as she tries to move towards the door to stop their movement.

"Bella stop, please be calm. We don't need to get stuck in between floors. Let us get you somewhere safely and then I promise you I will go back down there and check on them personally." Agent Smith says.

"Where are we going?" Bella asks.

"We need to get you out of the building." Agent Smith says.

"Then why did he push the button for the 20th floor?" Bella asks looking over at Agent Williamson.

"Bill?" Agent Smith begins to question, when Agent Williamson raises his hand and pistol whips the other agent knocking him out.

"What the fuck?" Bella screams as she tries to go over to the other agent.

"Don't move Miss Cigno." Agent Williamson says as he points his gun at her. "I was told that I was not to harm you in any way but I will not hesitate to knock you down as well. Now stand there quietly like a good little girl and don't give me any problems."

The remaining ride up is quiet as Bella stares at the man holding a gun on her, her mind warring between regretting not listening to Charlie's pleas to cancel this meeting, fear for the lives of those around her and anger at the man in front of her.

As the door open to the 20th floor, Bella sees Alex standing there waiting.

"Alex run." Bella begins to say as she lunges for Agent Williamson trying to knock the gun out of his hand while he is distracted. Unfortunately the agent is ready for anything and rears his elbow back at her knocking her out.

"I told you to be good you stupid bitch." The agent says as he picks up her limp form.

"He will be pissed about that you know." Alex says to the man.

"Yeah I know, but right now I don't care." He says as he moves out of the elevator. "Where am I going?"

"Follow me." Alex says as he makes his way down the vacant hallway.

"Is the floor empty?"

"Yeah this floor has been closed off for two weeks for renovations. The rest of the building is in the process of being evacuated as we speak."

"And the elevators?"

"All have been shut down with the exception of the one you were just in and I control it." Alex says as he holds up a key.

"Perfect." Williamson says. "Is he here?"

"Yes, he is in there waiting." Alex says as he points out the door at the end of the hallway.

"Well hello Isabella..." Paul says before turning around to see Williamson carrying her limp body into the room. "What the fuck happened? I told you not to harm her."

"I had no choice but to subdue her sir." Williamson says as he lays her down on a couch in the office.

Once he has her laid down he turns to Paul only to be met with a bullet to the head.

"And I had no choice but to kill you for not listening to me you bastard!" Paul screamed.

Alex shakes his head as he watches the agent's body fall to the ground.

"I told him you would be pissed." He chuckles.

"He was dispensable, now he is one less thing to worry about." Paul says as he moves back over to Bella.

"Oh Isabella what has he done to you sweet girl?" He says as he runs his finger over the bruise that is already forming on her cheek.

"Put his body back in the elevator with the other agent and send it back down to the garage, then disable that one as well." Paul says.

"Yes sir." Alex says as he goes to drag the agent's body out of the room.

Paul walks over to a bathroom that is inside of the office, wets a towel with cold water and moves back over to Bella, placing the towel on her cheek.

"Finally my Isabella."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**d2woodworth you were very correct that sometimes being stubborn makes you do stupid things! **_

_**Chapter Eighteen will hopefully be up tomorrow but if not it will not be any later than Friday. I promise not to drag this out and eighteen will be the coming together of everything.**_

_**Thank you for all of the wonderful words and I will do my best to respond to them all by Friday as well.**_

_**Much love and thanks for holding on a little bit longer.**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**A day later then I said. So very sorry!**_

_**We step back a little and then move forward.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>

"Emmett! Carlisle!" Rose screams as the building goes up in front of her.

Before the other agent in the van can stop her, Rose is out and running to where her husband and father in law lay in the middle of the street.

"Oh God, please no." Rose says as she rushes over to Emmett. "Emmett baby please, please." She says as she begins to check his body for signs of life. She can feel his chest rise and fall beneath her hands and while it is labored she feels some of the tension of the moment leave her.

"Emmett baby please open your eyes." She whispers as she leans down to his dirty face and kisses his forehead.

"Hmm" She hears a low rumble coming from his lips.

"That's it baby, it's me, it's Rose."

"Rosie." She hears him whisper. "Is it raining?" He asks as he tries to open his eyes.

"Oh thank God." She says as she wipes away the tears that are flowing down her cheeks.

"No baby it isn't raining." She answers him with a slight chuckle.

Emmett opens his eyes to see the vision of his angel hovering over him.

"Hey beautiful." He says with a wincing grin as he lifts his hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Are you ok baby?"

"Better now." Rose answers him.

Emmett stares at his wife for a moment before the realization of everything hits him.

"Dad!" He says with a start as he tries to lift himself off the ground. "Fuck!" He screams when he puts his other hand down to the ground and is met with a sharp piercing throb that runs up his entire arm.

"What is it baby?" Rose asks.

"I think my arm is broken." He answers her still trying to get up off the ground. "Where's dad?" He asks again despite the pain in his arm.

"Over there." Rose says to where Carlisle is still lying on the ground with the other agent looking over him.

"Matthew how is he?" Emmett calls out to the other agent.

"I'm ok." Carlisle answers him as he begins to lift himself up with the help of the other agent. "You?" Carlisle asks looking over at his son.

"Been better, been worse." Emmett answers him with a grin.

The air is suddenly filled with the sounds of sirens and before they know it there is a sea of fire trucks, police cars and ambulances.

Sam Uley and his new partner pull up in one of the buses and he just shakes his head when he sees the two Cullen men before him.

"Should have known you two would be behind this mess." He says as he makes his way over to where Emmett is leaning against a car.

"There's something you should know Sam." Carlisle says to him as he walks over to the two men. "I'm afraid Jacob was inside the building when it exploded."

Sam stares at the rubble, his eyes dancing sadly in the flames and smoke.

"He was a good man who made very bad decisions. I pray for his soul." Sam said before turning his attention back to Emmett.

As Sam begins to assess Emmett's condition, Rose and Carlisle go back to the van to talk with one of the local leos on the scene.

"From what we can tell there will be nine bodies inside, eight were already there and one..." Carlisle hesitated as he thought about the senseless death of Jacob Black. "...one died in the blast."

"Are your men all accounted for?" The detective asked him.

"Yes, some injuries from the blast but all accounted for." Carlisle answered him as he went back out into the street to talk with the detective further.

Rose climbs into the van, looking over the footage again really just trying to get her nerves to calm down when she hears a frenzy of voices coming over the scanner. She turns the volume up and gasps when she recognizes what the men are talking about. She quickly leaves the van to find Carlisle.

"Carlisle." She screams as she rushes over to where he stands beside Emmett and Sam. "It's Bella." She says.

SSES

"How long do you think she will be up there?" Charlie asks as he pulls his car into the parking deck a safe distance away from the agent's car.

"She said it would probably take them at least an hour, maybe two depending on what information Alex had on her new assignment." Edward answers him as he watches Bella being escorted in the deck.

The wave of the car blast hit Charlie's car first, shattering the windows before either man can react to the sight of the car exploding.

"What the fuck was that?" Charlie screams as he lifts his head and begins to look around.

Both men see the car first and then Bella and the agents getting up off the ground. They rush out of the car and run towards Bella, screaming her name when the gun fire begins.

"Get down!" Charlie screams as he pushes Edward down behind the closest car. He pulls his gun out and begins to check out the surroundings seeing two agents trying to get Bella onto the elevator.

"Ok listen to me, we are going to make our way over towards the elevators, I need you to stay down as low as you can to the ground. Listen to the sound of my voice." Charlie says. "On the count of three...one, two, three." He says as the two men make their way to Bella.

"There she is." Edward yells as they see her getting onto the elevator. "Bella!" He starts to scream her name trying to get her attention.

Just as the doors begin to close their eyes lock with one another and she calls his name as well.

"Damn it!" Charlie screams as they reach the closed elevator doors. "Where the hell are they taking her." He says pounding on the door.

"Smith is trying to get her out of here." One of the other agents calls from behind Charlie.

"By taking her into the building?" Edward quietly says as he nods his head up to the digital floor counter watching the numbers rise beyond the lobby.

"Fuck!" Charlie grumbled under his breath as he watched the numbers rise as well. They stood there for a moment waiting for the numbers to stop. When it stayed on the number 20, Charlie looked over to his right to find the stair way entrance and then back towards the agents who were still trying to dodge bullets.

"You up for a climb kid?" Charlie asks Edward nodding his head towards the stairs.

SSES

"He's gone!" Alex says as he rushes back into the office.

Paul is sitting by the couch, running his fingers through Bella's hair trying to get her to stir.

"Who's gone?" he asks.

"The other agent, his body it's...it's gone."

"What the fuck? How can he be gone? Williamson was supposed to kill him."

"He wasn't moving; I thought he had done his job." Alex said as he shook his head.

"Well obviously he didn't." Paul screamed. "Go find him."

"What?"

"I. Said. Go. Find. Him!" Paul screamed at Alex as he stood over him, mere inches from his face. "Search the floor after you send the elevator down with that worthless piece of FBI shit."

"But...he may not be on the floor anymore. He may have gone down the stairs."

"True which for your sake you better hope that is the case. Or he could be here waiting to fuck up my plans, now go find him!"

SSES

Bella began to stir, the sounds of yelling bringing her back to life. As soon as she took her first deep breath she regretted it, pain radiating from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. She knew she needed to open her eyes, to figure out just where she was and what was going on but even the thought of opening her eyes caused her pain.

She moved her head slightly which caused her to call out in pain.

"Oh my Isabella you are awake." She heard and instantly tensed even more then she was before. She did not recognize the voice but she knew it was not the one she wanted to hear referring to her as _my_.

"I do apologize my beauty for that idiot's actions. He was told not to harm you in any way." Paul said when he heard her gasp in pain.

The more the man spoke the more she began to remember and as the realization of whose voice it was speaking hit her, the bile began to fill her mouth.

"No." She whispered as she fought back the urge to throw up. She lay there for a moment before opening her eyes and trying to focus on her surroundings. Having no idea how long she had been out or where she might be, Bella could only hope she was still in the NOAA building as she slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position.

"Here let me help you my beauty."

"Don't!" Bella forced out as she felt Paul's hands on her arms. "Don't you fucking touch me."

"Now my Isabella, ladies such as yourself should not use that kind of language."

"Fuck you." Bella said as she pulled herself into a ball against the couch as her eyes finally focused and she looked up into the face of the man she hated more than anything else in this world.

"Don't!" Paul screamed at her.

Bella flinched and prepared herself for another blow.

"I know what you are trying to do Bella and I will not allow it." Paul said as he took a deep breath trying to calm himself pacing back and forth in front of her. "I will not allow you to upset me like that. I will not harm you Isabella; never will I lay a finger on you like that in anger, so please do not try and tempt me."

Once fully calmed Paul walked over to the couch and sat down beside her.

"Now how about a nice conversation so we can get to know each other."

SSES

"Tell me everything." Carlisle said as soon as he arrived at the NOAA building and began speaking to the agents that were with Bella when the explosion happened.

The road outside of the building was littered with ambulances, police, FBI and Homeland Security vehicles. There were barricades keeping back on lookers and those who had been evacuated from the building.

Carlisle listened with rapt attention to words the agent spoke to him, his anger growing greater and greater as the man spoke only to have the wind knocked out of him at his final words.

"Deputy Director, Charlie and Edward were here sir, they tried to reach Bella on the elevator before it took off and then they disappeared. We think they are inside of the building.

"Damn it!" Carlisle whispered under his breath. "I need an inside view of that building now."

"Sir we have tried that already. The surveillance cameras have been disabled."

"You haven't tried hard enough." Carlisle said with a slight grin on his face.

"Rose." He called out to his daughter in law who had accompanied him. "I need you skills more than ever darling." He winked at her as she nodded her head and went off looking for a computer.

SSES

"You doing ok there Charlie?" Edward whisper huffed as he tried to catch his breath. They had finally made their way up to the 20th floor and were trying to get their strength together before opening the door and making their way onto the floor.

"Don't you worry about me kid." Charlie huffed as he tried to calm his breathing down.

Edward chuckled and gave Charlie a nod of his head. Putting his finger to his lips to indicate silence, Charlie slowly opened the door and after a quick scan to see the hallway was empty he motioned for Edward to follow him.

They made their way out into the hall, both men cautious of the area around them. As they entered into an open area full of cubicles and desks the noticed a body lying partially hidden by one of the cube walls. Making their way over to the still form, Edward mouthed the name Alex to Charlie as soon as he saw his face. He remembered the man coming to the hospital to see how Bella was doing.

Charlie nodded his head and leaned down to check his pulse. He was breathing but he could tell by the wound on his head he would be out for a while.

"He's ok for now." Charlie whispered as he nodded his head forward for them to continue to move on.

They moved further down the hall towards the offices. As they approached each office door they opened them slowly, checking inside to see if Bella or anyone else was inside. They had just stepped inside the third office when someone grabbed Edward and pushed him up against the wall.

"Don't move you...Edward?" Agent Smith asked as he moved away from Edward. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"My daughter is here, where else would I be." Charlie said as he pointed his gun at Agent Smith. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to do my job." Agent Smith said as he backed away from Edward. "We were trying to get Bella out of the building when she noticed Williamson had pushed the button for this floor instead of the lobby. I started to question him when the bastard pistol whipped me. He was working for McGovern."

"How the hell did we not know this?" Charlie huffed as he lowered his gun.

"I don't know but it doesn't matter now, he is dead and McGovern has Bella down at the end of the hall."

"Did he do that to Alex?" Edward asked.

"No actually I did." Agent Smith said with a smile. "He is working for McGovern too. After I woke up I crawled out of the elevator and hide behind one of the cube walls trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do. I saw that guy dragging Williamson's body back to the elevator and then followed him as he ran back to the office down the hall telling McGovern I was missing. I heard them arguing over him finding me. I guess I'm lucky Williamson didn't do what he was supposed to do which was to kill me. I waited until he was away from the office and I was able to surprise him and knock him out."

"Is there anybody else on the floor?" Charlie asked.

"No, it's just him and Bella now."

"What are we going to do?" Edward asked.

"He has a gun so we cannot just rush in that office."

"The risk to Bella is too great." Charlie said as he thought for a moment. "We need to draw him out somehow, I can bring him down."

"What if he comes out with Bella. She could be hit instead." Edward said in a panic.

"Listen Edward I need you to trust me here. When I was in the guard I went to marksman school and let's just say I was really good at my studies."

"How good?" Agent Smith asked.

"I can hit a dime sized target dead center from 300 hundred yards away with a scope. Up close I can do the same from 45 feet. All I need is a clear shot, even if it just a small one to take him down."

"Damn Charlie!" Agent Smith said with an impressed whistle.

"So how do we draw him out without him harming Bella first?" Edward asked.

"We need something, like a loud noise or an..."

"Explosion." Edward said finishing Charlie's thoughts.

"Yeah something like that would be great."

"There was a cleaning closet close to the elevator." Edward said with a nod of his head. There has to be something in there we can use.

"How do you know that?" Charlie asked.

"I had to take five different Chemistry classes on my way to becoming a doctor, Charlie." Edward said with a smirk.

"Perfect!" Charlie said with a clap of his hand on Edward's back.

SSES

Carlisle was looking over Rose's shoulder as she worked her magic on the computer screen before them when Sam's ambulance pulled onto the scene.

He and Emmett both rushed out of the bus and over to Carlisle and Rose.

"What are you doing here Emmett? I told you to go to the hospital for that arm." Carlisle huffed at his youngest son. "I swear you and your brother are going to be the death of me. Your mother is going to kill me as soon as she finds all of this out."

"Sam wrapped my arm for now so I am fine. There was no way in hell I was not going to be here dad. And you and I both know we would rather have Sam here for Bella then somewhere else with me." Emmett huffed right back at him. "Wait...did you say you and your brother?"

"Yes I did. He and Charlie are in that building right now trying to get to Bella."

"How?"

"Best I can tell they followed her here and when everything happened they went after her."

"Good for them." Emmett said proud of his brother and Charlie.

"Yeah I guess." Carlisle said with a small grin, his own pride warring with a father's protective nature.

"Got it!" Rose said with a happy squeal as she pointed to the screen. "There they are."

Emmett looked at the screen and then at his father for an explanation.

"Rose hacked into their security cameras. They had been disabled but she got them working again."

"That's my girl!" Emmett said with pride as he leaned down and kissed Rose.

"What the hell are they doing?" Sam asked as he looked at the sight of the three men huddled together.

"I would imagine Edward is putting all of those years of school to good use."

SSES

"Where the hell is he?" Paul said as he opened the door slightly and looked out into the hallway. With a huff he turned back to Bella who sat stock still in the same position.

"I do wish you would talk with me my Isabella."

He had been trying to get her to talk with him for the past thirty minutes but she refused.

"I understand your hesitancy. It has been a long day, but soon we will be on our way to our home and there you should feel much better."

"We don't have a home." Bella said.

"Ah she speaks and what a lovely voice." He said with a huge smile on his face. "We do have a home my beauty. It will only be temporary though as I feel we should leave this country and start over again. We will go back to my homeland of Ireland, start over there just like my father did. I know with you by my side there is so much that I..."

"I am not going anywhere with you asshole." Bella screamed as she unfurled herself from the ball she was in.

"Of course you are my beauty. We were meant to be together."

"We were never meant to be anything you piece of shit." Bella said as she stood up despite the pain that radiated throughout her whole body. Adrenaline was coursing throw her and making her stronger. "_We_ were never _we_. You really are delusional if you think I would ever want to be with you."

"Everyone wants to be with me Bella. I am Paul McGovern. It may take you a little longer but I promise you will want to be with me." He said with a smug look so confident that Bella lost all of composure and let her rage take over.

"Fuck you!" She screamed as she slapped him across the face. "You killed my mother. My life has been a constant move running from you. You denied me my father. You almost killed me and you tried to kill the man I love. Do you honestly think I would want to be with you?"

Paul stood there for a moment stunned by the tiny woman who stood so fiercely in front of him.

"My beautiful Bella please don't try and make me mad." He said trying to keep his anger in check.

"Do not ever call me that again!" Bella yelled at him again. "What are you going to do if I make you mad Paul? Are you going to beat me like you did my mother you stupid coward! Are you going to force yourself on me like you did her if I refuse your touch? Are you going to put a bullet through my head like you did hers you spineless fuck? I would rather be dead then think about you touching me. I would rather join my mother in peace then think about spending one more moment with you." Bella screamed as she lifted her arm to slap Paul again.

"Don't fucking move or you will have your wish." Paul screamed back at her as he pulled his gun from his waist and pointed it at her."

"You're a coward! Just like your father." Bella said holding her ground against him.

"Never speak of my father you stupid bitch!" Paul screamed at her. He rose his hand as if to strike her when the sound of an explosion had him jerk around towards the door. "What the fuck?" He screamed as he turned back to Bella and pulled her into his chest.

Using Bella as a shield, he opened the door and began to move out into the hallway. As they made their way into the open area of the floor they could see a small fire burning on one of the desks. Seconds later the smoke triggered the sprinkler system causing water to rain down on them.

"Alex!" Paul screamed as he tried to see around him through the smoke and water.

"Freeze!" Agent Smith called as he jumped up from one of the cubes. "You are under arrest McGovern. Let the girl go."

"No." McGovern yelled as he held his gun out towards Agent Smith before moving it back towards Bella. "I am not going down like this. Not when I finally have her. I will shoot both of you if you do not let us go." He said as he waved his gun back and forth between the two of them.

"Stay right there." Charlie whispered to himself from his position behind Paul and Bella. "Good asshole." Charlie mumbled before pulling the trigger on his gun.

In a flash Paul and Bella were both thrown to the floor.

Agent Smith and Charlie rushed towards Paul while Edward rushed towards Bella. Charlie pulled Paul away from Bella as Agent Smith held his gun on him. Blood rushed from the exit wound in his forehead and he stared back at the men with dead eyes.

"Bella, oh God Bella baby." Edward called as he turned her over to make sure she was ok.

"Edward?" She asked as she tried to make sense of what just happened.

"Yes baby girl it's me." He said as he pulled her into his arms. "I got you Bella."

"Is it over?" She sobbed into his arms.

Edward looked up at Charlie, blinking back the mixture of water and tears of relief hindering his sight. Charlie nodded his head letting him know that Paul was dead and that it really was over.

"It is sweet girl. It's all over."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Two more chapters after this one and that will end our little story. The next one will go back to regular schedule and post on Wed.**_

_**So what do you think? Hope it didn't disappoint. **_

_**Much love to you all!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**We pick up where we left off and then move forward.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<strong>

"Daddy." Bella said as she looked up from Edward's chest.

Charlie had to hold in the gasp that threatened to escape his lips when he saw the bruise on Bella's cheek. Even through the haze of the falling water he could see just how deep the colors were.

"Yes baby girl." Charlie said as he walked over to where she and Edward sat on the floor.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not listening to you, for insisting I..."

"Not another word baby girl." Charlie said as he pulled her into his arms. "You're safe now and it is all over."

"I promise I will listen to you from now on." She mumbled into his chest.

Charlie looked over at Edward with a grin on his face and the two men shared a knowing shake of their heads.

"No you won't." Charlie said with a chuckle. "But I'll love you none the less."

Charlie kissed the top of her head just as the sprinklers shut off.

"Thank goodness." Charlie said as he let go of Bella. Just as he was about to stand his phone began to ring.

"We have her." Charlie answered the phone seeing Carlisle's name on the display.

"_I know."_ Carlisle said with a chuckle.

"How?"

"_Rose." _

"I should have known."

"_The elevators are working again and we have agents and EMT on their way up to you now, they should be there at any minute. I want all of you down here as soon as possible."_ Carlisle said before hanging up.

"Your dad is sending up the cavalry." Charlie said as he closed his phone.

Just as he was finishing his words the elevator door dinged open and a rush of people entered the floor.

"Edward." Sam says as he rushes over to where he and Bella are still sitting on the floor. Taking a blanket out of his kit he wraps it around Bella before he begins to check her over.

"Possible concussion from a blow to the cheek and cuts and bruises from the explosion." Edward tells Sam. Bella looks over at him with a sly smile on her face. She wasn't at all surprised that Edward had been quietly checking her out while they sat there.

"Any ringing of the ears?" Sam asks her.

"A little." Bella answers him.

"We'll do x-rays once we get to the hospital to make sure there are no internal injuries from the explosion and to make sure there were no ruptures to your ear drums." Edward says.

"The hospital?" Bella questions with a groan.

"What happened to not questioning when I asked for something?" Charlie chimed in.

"But you didn't..." Bella began but was cut off with a raised eyebrow by both her dad and Edward.

"Fine!" Bella said with a huff that quickly turned into a grin at the pleased look on her dad's face.

SSES

"Wait! Alex?" Bella says with a start as she sits at on the back of one of the ambulances while Sam applies ice to her cheek. "He was up there. I tried to warn him but Williamson knocked me out and I never did see him again. Is he ok?"

Charlie and Edward exchanged glances at one another before looking over to one of the other ambulances where Alex was being treated for the blow that Agent Smith dealt him. Noticing the way their eyes moved, Bella followed spotting Alex right away.

"Oh that poor thing, is he ok?" Bella said as she began to stand up and walk over to where he was.

"Bella wait." Edward said gently taking Bella's arm in his hand. "Sweetie there's something you need to know." He said pausing for a moment. "It seems Alex was working for McGovern as well."

"But that can't be...he wouldn't do that...he was my friend...he...he was the one Paul was waiting for up there." Bella quietly whispered as realization hit her.

Instantly her mind went from quiet realization to anger and she jerked her arm away from Edward storming over to where Alex was.

"You sorry son of a bitch!" Bella screamed as she approached him before lifting her arm and punching Alex square in the nose.

"You stupid bitch!" Alex screamed as he clutched his nose. It was at that moment that Bella saw the handcuffs that were attached to both of his wrists.

"I was _stupid _for believing you were my friend. How could you do that to me? How could you throw me to the wolves like that? What the fuck did I ever do to you? For the past few months I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how McGovern knew where I was going to be that day I was shot and now it all makes perfect sense. It was you wasn't it? I told you I needed to go and meet my father and Carlisle. I didn't think anything about you asking where I was going. I thought you were being helpful when you told me about that parking garage that was hardly ever used close to the restaurant. You did this to me." Bella says as she tugs at her soaked blouse revealing the scar on her chest. "It was you. And all that time in the hospital and ever since then. You acted like you were concerned about me, worried even, but all along you were feeding Paul information the whole time you fucking bastard!" Bella said before she began to punch at Alex again knocking him down on the ground.

"Bella baby stop." Edward said as he walked up behind her and pulled her off of Alex. "You're going to hurt yourself. He's not worth it." He said as he turned her around so he could get her to focus on him and not Alex. "He's not worth it baby girl." Edward said as he wiped the angry tears away from her eyes.

"Are you just going to stand there while she assaults me?" Alex screams at the agents beside him. "Arrest her."

"I didn't see a thing." One of the agents answers with a straight face."

"Me either." The other agent added. "No visual, no assault." He said before he pulled Alex up from the ground and escorted him to a nearby police car.

"Come on baby; let's get you checked out so we can go home." Edward said as he lifted Bella into his arms and carried her to Sam's bus.

SSES

"What the hell were you thinking?" Katie asked Charlie as she stormed into the waiting room that he, Carlisle, Rose and Emmett were waiting in. Esme followed shortly behind her the same angry glare in her eyes as she looked over her husband and son.

"Ma please don't." Charlie begged as she took his face in her hands and began to look him over to make sure he was ok.

"Where is my baby?" Katie asked.

"She is in there with Edward. She's ok ma. They are just waiting for the x-rays to come back before they release her. And to answer your question I was going after my daughter."

"And thank you for doing so, but you and Edward both could have been killed as well."

"Would do it again in a heartbeat ma."

"Yeah I know you would you stubborn ass." Katie said as she popped him in the back of the head.

"Damn it ma, stop with the Gibbs slaps!" Charlie said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Besides you're just pissed you weren't there."

"No...maybe...yes." Katie said with a wry grin before she pulled Charlie into a hug. "Thank you for saving our baby girl. I bet it felt good to end that bastard's life." She whispered into his ear.

"The best ma." Charlie whispered back.

"I love you Charles Swan." Katie said as she pulled away, placing a kiss on his forehead before letting him go.

"I love you too ma."

"Now for you three." Katie says as she turns her attention over to Carlisle, Emmett and Rose. "What the hell were you thinking going to that warehouse like that without proper coverage or recon first?"

"Exactly!" Esme said as she pulled away from Carlisle and walked over and linked arms with Katie.

"Sorry." The three of them murmured as they hung their heads down.

SSES

Things began to slowly go back to normal over the next few weeks following the death of Paul McGovern.

Bella was released from the hospital with a concussion, a few cuts and bruises and a sprained wrist from her giving Alex what he deserved. After much love and attention from her entire family and friends, Bella was able to really begin to relax for the first time in almost three months.

Alex, who quickly realized that he was going to do some serious jail time began to sing like a canary and gave Carlisle all of the information he needed to bring an end to the McGovern crime family. It turned out that Alex was Paul McGovern's cousin, the son of one of Finn's sisters. All ties to the McGovern family were deeply hidden and Alex was able to live the life of an upstanding citizen until Paul called in the family marker and Alex began to feed information to Paul about Bella.

Since Alex was so removed from the McGovern name he was also given the key to the kingdom so to speak. All of the things that could bring down the family were given to Alex for safe keeping after his mother, the previous holder of the key, passed away. The McGovern's believed that if the shit ever hit the fan, Alex was so far removed that the Feds would never be able to trace anything to him, which would have been the case for not even Rose had been able to trace him back to Paul. What they didn't expect was the cowardliness of Alex Stephenson and with a promise of a stint in anything other than a _federal pound you in the ass prison_, his words not the governments, he gave everything over to Carlisle and the FBI.

Within two weeks of Paul's death the family was officially crumbled with at least a hundred men awaiting their fates in federal prison.

Due to the embarrassment of Alex Stephenson being one of their employees and the harm he had put Bella into, NOAA released her from the contract. Bella had several offers from other agencies, news, entertainment and educational organizations and art and science museums within days of her being released and she was able to explore all of her options.

For the first time in what felt like a life time to Bella, she was able to breathe easily.

SSES

"Are you sure about this daddy?" Bella asked Charlie as the stood in the entry way of his home in San Diego. It had been two months since the death of Paul McGovern and it was time for Charlie to start his own life again.

"Never been surer of anything in my life baby girl." Charlie answered her as he took the stack of unmade boxes out of her hand and began assembling them so they could pack up his house. "It's time I went back home." He said with a smile as he handed Bella a box for her to begin packing.

After an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Charlie being responsible for the death of Paul McGovern he was cleared of any wrong doing. Once the smoke was cleared and after a long conversation with Carlisle, Charlie accepted an offer to head up the Baltimore office of the FBI.

For the first time in over twenty three years, Charlie Swan was going back home.

The pair worked for several hours, packing Charlie's life into boxes, readying them for the movers to pick them up the next day. Charlie answered Bella's questions about the pictures he had up on the walls, defended his choice of clothing from the Nineties that still hung in his closet and laughed until he had tears in his eyes as he recalled a story about having to chase down a naked perp with a balloon tied to his manly bits, as he and his partner did rock paper scissors while running to see who would be the one to tackle the man. Fortunately for Charlie he won the battle of fingers.

"Well Bella Swan that is the last of the boxes." Charlie said as he pulled the tape gun over the box he had just finished with.

Bella's legal name change from Cigno to Swan and taken place a week before the two of them came out to San Diego and Charlie called her by both names as often as he could.

"Thank goodness, I'm starving." Bella said as she put the mop and bucket she was using to clean the kitchen next to the pile of boxes.

"Let's head back to the hotel, get cleaned up and then grab some dinner. There is this great little place I want to take you."

SSES

"Those have to be best fish tacos I have ever eaten." Bella says as she pats her full stomach before taking a sip of her beer. She and Charlie are sitting on a bench on the San Diego Pier, sharing beers and fish tacos from a stand near the pier.

"Yeah I sure will miss these." Charlie says as he takes the last bite of his third fish taco.

"Will you miss anything else?" Bella asks.

"My five months here with your mom." He says as he takes Bella's trash and along with his own throws it in a nearby waste bin. Taking her hand they walk down to the end of the pier to join the others who have gathered to watch the sun set into the ocean.

"Those five months were some of the best of my life here, really the only good times of my life here." Charlie says as he pulls Bella into his arms.

"I was never really living here except for those five months. The rest of the time I just existed." Charlie said as he laid his head down on top of Bella's.

"I hope you start to live again in Baltimore daddy."

"I will baby girl, I have you in my life now, that's all I need to begin living again."

Bella looked up at her dad with a smile on her face despite the tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hey don't cry for me sweet girl. The best part of my life will always be here in San Diego." He said as he wiped the tears from her eyes.

"What's that?"

"This is where you were conceived. It will always hold a special place in my heart for that very reason alone."

"I love you daddy."

"I love you Bella Swan."

SSES

Three months after the death of Paul McGovern, life for Bella Swan felt almost perfect.

Shortly after Paul's death she moved into Edward's condo while the two of them made decisions about their future. After Bella was given the ok by Edward to go scuba diving again she helped Edward become certified and they had spent a few weekends in North Carolina diving together.

Carlisle, Emmett and Rose moved onto the next case and worked together to make the world a safe place for their families and future generations.

Esme returned to her practice on a regular basis and she and Bella met at least twice a week for dinner or lunch. Esme became a surrogate mother for Bella and while she knew Bella loved her and that she would never replace Renee as her mother, Esme loved Bella as if she was her own.

Alice and Jasper came back to DC once every two weeks to visit with Bella, Edward and the rest of the Cullen family. Edward and Jasper's friendship continued to grow and they each easily considered the other as one of their best friends.

Katie went back to Crisfield and continued to kick the butts of those who needed it on a regular basis. She and Bella spoke to one another at least once a day and the made sure to see one another at least once a month.

Charlie settled into his new job and new life in Baltimore with more ease then he had anticipated and much to Bella's delight he had actually met a very nice and very pretty woman named Sadie who he had begun dating.

It was safe to say, Bella was very content in her life as she sat out on the balcony of the condo she shared with Edward, enjoying the rainbow coloring of October leaves that blanketed the trees in the park across from where they lived.

"There you are beautiful girl." Edward said as he made his way over to where she was standing along the rail.

"Home at last." Edward says as he slides his arms around her and pulls her body closer to his.

"Home." Bella says as she melts into his arms.

"Good day my love?" Edward asked her as he placed soft slow kisses down her neck.

"Very good day." She answered him with a little bit of a bounce.

"Really and what made it such a good day?" He asked as he continued to pepper her neck with kisses.

"Well apart from this..." She said with a slight moan as she ran her hand through his hair "...I got a call back from the Discovery Channel."

Her words stopped Edward's lips instantly and he turned her around to face him.

"Yeah?" He asked with a look of hope in his eyes.

"Yes." She said as she jumped into his arms squealing like a little girl. "We got it baby." She said before she crashed her lips down on his in celebration.

The Discovery Channel had approached Bella about an educational series they were going to be producing on shipwrecks around the world. The series would chronicle the ship's last days, what caused it to go down and what the site looked like today. They wanted Bella both for her diving skills as well as her skills as a photographer and videographer. While negotiating the deal, Bella had convinced them they needed a full time doctor on staff to accompany the dives and who better in her opinion then Edward. They had been waiting for the final approval back from the BBC who would be partnering with the Discovery Channel once again on this series and that approval had finally come back.

"You and me baby." Bella said in-between kisses. "One year together, traveling the world, diving, exploring, and living. What do you think?"

"I think..." Edward says as he slides Bella down his body. He pulls away from her for just a moment before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a black box and dropping to his knee opening the box up. "...that it sounds like the perfect honeymoon."

"Oh my...Edward..." Bella says as happy tears fall down her cheeks. "Yes baby...yes." She says as she falls into his arms.

"I love you Bella." Edward says as he slides the ring onto her finger.

"I love you too Edward." She says as she pulls him into another deep kiss.

Life for Bella Swan was perfect.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Charlie's mention of a "Gibbs slap" is a reference to the show NCIS and the head of the group of navy law officers named Gibbs who has a tendency to slap his people on the back of the head whenever they mess up or need a little guidance. **_

_**Alex's referral to a "federal pound you in the ass prison" is a nod to Mike Judge's Office Space. Great cult classic of a movie and such a perfect rebel yell for those of us who have had to endure a cubical existence.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed this one. One more to go and then we are done!**_

_**Love to you all and many many thanks! **_


	20. Chapter 20

_**SM owns Twilight.**_

_**Story title comes from the song Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes.**_

_**Long A/N in the beginning without one at the end.**_

_**I have been an utter failure with this last chapter and many others as well with this story. I apologize again for the delay in getting this last chapter out and in responding to reviews. That is something I have never done and feel very very badly about it and I promise I will respond to any that you grace me with for this final chapter.**_

_**Things have been very crazy these past few weeks. I have started a new job working in a bakery (one step closer to my own Dolce Amore hopefully!) and while my first official start date was this past Monday I have been working there for the past two weeks while working out my notice at the job that I was leaving. Needless to say 16 hour days on my feet for two weeks without a day off pretty much wrecked me. The flip side to that is I was doing what I love so it really wasn't that bad at the end of the long day.**_

_**A few of you have asked if I will be writing more and the answer is yes. I have a few ideas running around in my head and hope to get them up and running within the next few weeks. If you are interested, please be on the lookout for more.**_

_**Thank you to you all for the support and love that you have given this story, especially the lovely readers who have followed me from my other stories. You all mean the world to me.**_

_**Much love and gratitude! With sadness and major groveling I give you the last chapter.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

Bella and Edward's new job was to start January 3rd, 2012. They had decided that they wanted to get married before they left.

There had been many discussions about where they would be married. The whole family gave their opinions with Alice's suggestion of the Reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial and Emmett's suggestion of the White House Rose Garden (because as Emmett said Carlisle was that powerful a man) being the most outlandish.

In the end it was decided by the couple that they would get married in the garden where they had shared their first date. Esme was of course thrilled with the idea of them getting married at their home. With all of the work that she, Alice and Rose put into the planning of the wedding, Bella and Edward were able to focus on the things they needed to do in order to prepare for their upcoming trip.

Reactions had been mixed about the couple leaving their family for a year's time from excited to sad. With promises of weekly Skype sessions, daily e-mails and Twitter updates the family gave their full support to the young couple's future endeavors.

And so it was on December 17th, Bella and Edward stood in front of a preacher, holding hands, nestled in between outdoor space heaters exchanging their vows.

Bella wore an off-white gown that was elegant in design, simple in lace and moved fluidly with her body. The only jewelry she wore was a small silver heart that hung from a delicate chain that Renee had given to Esme on her wedding day as her something new. It became Bella's something old and something new as Esme knew it should be with Bella from now on.

Edward was handsome in his classical black tux, his auburn hair cut close to his head so he wouldn't have to fight with it on the most important day of his life.

The ceremony was small, their immediate family and a few friends in attendance. After their first kiss as man and wife, the happy couple made their way over to the reception tent that had been put up and enjoyed great food, great conversation and dancing surrounded by the ones they loved.

Esme held Charlie's hand while Carlisle stood behind her, his arms around her waist watching their children leaving at the end of the night. Not a word was spoken between the three of them, no acknowledgment of the silent tears that slowly trailed down each of their faces. The tears were not sad though for each of them knew that none of them was losing a child they were gaining one.

SSES

"Oh my God Bella that was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life." Edward panted.

"I know." Bella added as she tried to slow her own breathing down. "It was so big."

"And it felt different too." Edward said as he pulled his wife closer to him, kissing her nose softly. "Not at all what I had expected."

"In a good way or a bad way?" Bella questioned him.

"Oh definitely in a good way?" Edward answered her with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"So it's safe to say you like Whale Sharks better than Great Whites." Bella laughed as she pulled her dive mask off of her head completely.

"Without a doubt." Edward said with a silly smile. "That big monster didn't want to eat me unlike his distance cousin that we ran into a few weeks ago."

While exploring a wreck site in Australia, they had been able to go cage diving with Great Whites. Bella had thought it was amazing and enjoyed the thrill of the large creature exploring them. Edward, not so much.

"Baby I told you that you were safe in that cage, they could not get any closer than they did." Bella said as she tried to hide her giggles.

"They were too close as it was, all I could think about was that scene in Jaws and thinking we needed a bigger cage." Edward said with a pout.

"My poor baby." Bella said as she kissed her husband gently on the lips, enjoying the taste of salt that lingered there. "Happy First Anniversary baby."

"Happy First Anniversary to you too." He replied, deepening the kiss. "Too damn thick." He grumbled against her lips as he tried to caress her wet suit clad body.

"Come on my horney husband, let's go back to the boat and then make our way back to the house."

Bella and Edward had spent the day exploring the wreck of the Eidsvold in the waters of off Christmas Island, Australia. Edward had watched her for an hour as she explored the site, pointing out various fish, coral and other marina life as she took pictures and video, even being so brave as to linger near the edge of a deep canon that the remaining part of the boat had fallen into.

It was on their way back to the surface that they had encountered the giant Whale Shark. Bella took picture after picture of the majestic, lumbering creature while Edward swam beside it, his hand reaching out to run his fingers down its smooth skin.

SSES

"Edward!" Bella gasped after she opened the door to the small house the couple were staying in while on the island.

"I didn't want you to be without a Christmas tree." Edward said.

"How?" Bella asked as she walked over and touched the artificial tree that had been set up in their living room.

"When we found out we would be here during Christmas I had mom send one down to us. Arianna put it together for me." He said as he walked over to his wife and pulled her into his arms.

"It's decorated with our memories." Bella said as she reached out and touched the little snow globe that they had gotten in Hawaii. The tree was filled with little trinkets that they had picked up in their travels to places such as Bali, Thailand, Scotland, Ireland and Italy.

"Do you like it baby? I know it's not a real tree but at least it's a tree."

"It's perfect Edward." Bella said as she turned in his arms to face him. "Thank you so much for this wonderful gift."

"Anything for you my sweet girl. We will make our own Christmas traditions on Christmas Island" He said as he softly kissed her lips.

The kiss started out soft but quickly deepened as Edward pulled Bella up his body, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Take me to the bedroom Edward." Bella gasped as she pulled breathlessly away from the kiss.

"Anything for you my sweet girl." He said as he began to move them back to their bedroom. "But I swear Bella if another one of those fucking crabs is in our bed, we are eating it for dinner tonight."

Bella could not help but laugh at Edward. They had both enjoyed the sight of red crabs invading the island as they made their way down towards the ocean to find their mate and create future generations. Edward's enjoyment ended abruptly the night before when one of the crabs mistook their bed for a rocky cliff. Edward's left ass cheek was still pink from the pinch the offending intruder had given him.

"Still think I should have cooked that fucker." He grumbled as he moved the hand that was cradling his wife's behind back to his own and rubbed the sensitive spot.

"My poor baby." Bella said through her small chuckles as she kissed his nose. "You cannot cook them Edward, they are just following their instincts to mate and create new life."

"Yeah but only we can mate and create new life in our bed." Edward grumbled again as he pulled the covers back on the bed and double checked to make sure there were no uninvited visitors.

"I hope we do." Bella said with a shy smile.

"Yeah?" Edward asked as he lowered his wife to the bed.

"Yeah."

"I love you Bella, so much." Edward said as he covered her body with his own.

"I love you too Edward."

Edward took his time, exploring Bella's body, laying gentle kisses on the exposed skin after removing her clothing. Once she lay bare before him he explored every crevice and surface of her, just as he had seen her do so many times when she was diving at wreck sites. He used his lips, his tongue and his fingers to dive and map out her body, enjoying the sounds that she made, the way she moved fluidly under him just as she did in the water and the way his heart exploded when she called out his name in passion.

He whispered words of love and devotion to her as he moved inside of her, reveling in the way she felt around him, always appreciating the joy it brought to him both physical and emotionally. Their bodies danced with one another, pushing and pulling in sink to the soundless song that played around them until the both reached euphoria together.

As he lay beside her afterwards, watching the subtle rise and fall of her chest he couldn't help the smile that over took his face as a feeling of warmth spread over his body. His instincts telling him that they had indeed created a new life.

_**The End!**_


End file.
